Tennessee lawmakers push ban on state property tax

Tennessee’s Republican leaders are embarking on a campaign to pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting a state property tax, even though the state hasn’t had one for more than 75 years.

Dubbed “Yes on 2,” the effort taps a handful of groups that support the ban and names chairpeople in the state’s 95 counties, mainly lawmakers and county mayors, to push the amendment to passage in the Nov. 3 election. 

A release from the group calls it a “bipartisan” push, listing Nashville Democratic Rep. Bob Freeman, owner of Freeman Webb, a large property management company, as chairman of the Davidson County drive. He is the only Democratic lawmaker on the list.

Reached for comment Monday, though, Freeman said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

He said he isn’t chairman of the Davidson County effort but recalled receiving a phone call two years ago asking if he supported “not having a state property tax” and said “yes.”

“I’ve talked to a lot of my constituents, Republicans and Democrats, that are concerned we’re about to have a massive shortfall in our finances because of mismanagement from the current administration and the Republican supermajority,” Freeman said.

He pointed toward the Republican-controlled legislature’s decision to expand the governor’s private-school voucher program to a cost of $270 million next year as just one move that could force lawmakers, at some point, to create a state property tax.

The measure must receive a majority vote of those who cast ballots in the gubernatorial election to be inserted into the state Constitution.

Gov. Bill Lee is to serve as campaign chairman, and House Speaker Cameron Sexton, Republican Rep. Tandy Darby of Greenfield in West Tennessee and Republican Sen. Ferrell Haile of Gallatin will be regional chairmen.

Groups such as the Tennessee Farm Bureau, Tennessee REALTORS, Tennessee Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Business, Americans for Prosperity and the Beacon Center of Tennessee will make a push to pass the prohibition.

The legislature repealed a state property tax in 1949, but the release by “Yes on 2” says future legislatures could enact a property tax with a simple majority vote.

Haile said he believes the property tax should be reserved for county and municipal governments and that the state shouldn’t “delve” into property taxes. County and city governments would suffer, he added, if the state set up a property tax.

“There may always be a temptation when things get tight not to reduce spending but to increase taxes, and I think the state should keep their hands off of people’s property,” Haile said.

Rep. John Ray Clemmons, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said Monday, “I wish Republicans would put as much effort into working with us Democrats to lower the cost of living for working Tennesseans as they put into amending the state Constitution.”

County chairs for the “Yes on 2” drive are:

Anderson – Rep. Rick Scarbrough and Mayor Terry Frank 

Bedford – Sen. Shane Reeves and House Speaker Pro Tempore Pat Marsh

Benton – Rep. Jay Reedy

Bledsoe – Sen. Todd Gardenhire

Blount – Sen. Tom Hatcher

Bradley – Sen. Adam Lowe

Campbell – Rep. Dennis Powers

Cannon – Sen. Shane Reeves and Rep. Michael Hale

Carroll – Sen. John Stevens and Rep. Brock Martin

Carter – Mike Nidiffer, President, Carter County Farm Bureau 

Cheatham – Rep. Mary Littleton

Chester – Sen. Page Walley

Claiborne – Sen. Jessie Seal

Clay – Rep. Kelly Keisling

Cocke – House Majority Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison

Coffee – Sen. Janice Bowling

Crockett – Rep. Chris Hurt

Cumberland – Sen. Paul Bailey

Davidson – Rep. Bob Freeman

Decatur – Rep. Kirk Haston

DeKalb – Rep. Michael Hale

Dickson – Rep. Mary Littleton

Dyer – Rep. Rusty Grills

Fayette – Sen. Page Walley

Fentress – Rep. Kelly Keisling

Franklin – Rep. Iris Rudder

Gibson – Rep. Brock Martin

Giles – Rep. Clay Doggett

Grainger – Rep. Rick Eldridge

Greene – Rep. David Hawk and Jeff Taylor, President & CEO, Greene County Partnership

Grundy – Sen. Janice Bowling

Hamblen – Rep. Rick Eldridge and former Rep. John Litz

Hamilton – Sen. Todd Gardenhire and Sen. Bo Watson

Hancock – Sen. Jessie Seal

Hardeman – Sen. Page Walley

Hardin – Sen. Page Walley

Hawkins – Sen. Bobby Harshbarger

Haywood – Sen. Page Walley and Rep. Debra Moody

Henderson – Rep. Kirk Haston and Rep. Brock Martin

Henry – Rep. Jay Reedy

Hickman – Sen. Kerry Roberts

Houston – Rep. Jay Reedy

Humphreys – Eric Mayberry, President, Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation 

Jackson – Sen. Paul Bailey

Jefferson – County Commissioner Aaron Loy

Johnson – Rep. Timothy Hill

Knox – Mayor Glenn Jacobs

Lake – Rep. Rusty Grills

Lauderdale – Rep. Chris Hurt

Lawrence – Ryan Egly, President & CEO, Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce

Lewis – County Commissioner Bryan Peery 

Lincoln – House Speaker Pro Tempore Pat Marsh and Mayor Bill Newman

Loudon – former Rep. Jimmy Matlock

McMinn – Sen. Adam Lowe

McNairy – Sen. Page Walley

Macon – Rep. Kelly Keisling

Madison – Rep. Chris Todd

Marion – Sen. Todd Gardenhire and Rep. Iris Rudder

Marshall – Doug Giles, Board Member, Marshall County Farm Bureau

Maury – Rep. Scott Cepicky

Meigs – Sen. Adam Lowe and Rep. Dan Howell

Monroe – Sen. Tom Hatcher

Montgomery – Sen. Bill Powers

Moore – Sen. Shane Reeves

Morgan – Rep. Ed Butler

Obion – Rep. Chris Hurt

Overton – Sen. Paul Bailey

Perry – Rep. Kirk Haston

Pickett – Rep. Kelly Keisling

Polk – Sen. Tom Hatcher and Rep. Dan Howell

Putnam – Sen. Paul Bailey

Rhea – Sen. Adam Lowe

Roane – Senate Majority Caucus Chairman Ken Yager and Travis Tilley, Board Member, Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation

Robertson – Sen. Kerry Roberts and Rep. Sabi Kumar

Rutherford – Sen. Shane Reeves and Rep. Bryan Terry

Scott – Rep. Kelly Keisling

Sequatchie – Sen. Todd Gardenhire

Sevier – Rep. Fred Atchley

Shelby – Rep. Kevin Vaughan

Smith – Sen. Paul Bailey and Mayor Jeff Mason

Stewart – Rep. Jay Reedy

Sullivan – Sen. Bobby Harshbarger and Miles Burdine, President & CEO, Kingsport Chamber

Sumner – House Majority Leader William Lamberth

Tipton – Rep. Debra Moody

Trousdale – Rep. William Slater

Unicoi – Rep. Renea Jones

Union – Rep. Dennis Powers

Van Buren – Sen. Janice Bowling

Warren – Sen. Janice Bowling

Washington – Rep. Rebecca Alexander

Wayne – Sen. Page Walley

Weakley – John Chester, Board Member, Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation 

White – Sen. Paul Bailey

Williamson – Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson

Wilson – Rep. Clark Boyd