State lawmakers will continue pushing to amend the Tennessee Constitution to ban statewide property taxes during the next legislative session.
Senate Joint Resolution 0001, filed by State Senator Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin), would prohibit the Tennessee General Assembly from levying, authorizing, or otherwise permitting a state tax on property.
SJR001 would specifically amend Article II, Section 28 of the Tennessee Constitution, which currently authorizes taxation of all property according to its value by any taxing authority, including the State, counties, and municipalities.
During the most recent legislative session, the resolution passed both the Tennessee Senate by a 26-6 vote and the House of Representatives by an 81-1 vote.
If passed by both chambers by a two-thirds majority again during the upcoming legislative session, the resolution will be presented to voters on the 2026 statewide general election ballot for Tennesseans to pass or reject.
The resolution seeking to ban statewide property taxes is one of three proposed constitutional amendments for the 2026 general election ballot.
Another proposed constitutional amendment is Marsy’s Law, which would amend Article I, Section 35 of the Tennessee Constitution to expand the rights of crime victims.
Marsy’s Law, which passed the Tennessee House unanimously and the State Senate by a 27-3 vote, must again pass both chambers by a two-thirds majority in order to be presented to voters in 2026.
The final proposed constitutional amendment for the 2026 ballot, Senate Joint Resolution 919, would amend the Tennessee Constitution to remove the right to bail for specific offenses.
SJR919, which passed the Tennessee House by a 82-15 vote and the Senate by a 22-6 vote, must again pass both chambers by a two-thirds majority in the upcoming legislative session to be presented to voters in 2026.
The 114th Tennessee General Assembly is scheduled to convene on January 14, 2025.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Ferrell Haile” by Ferrell Haile.Â
