The Tennessee Star on Monday obtained videos from a newly released ad campaign by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who is currently favored to win reelection against State Senator Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), which feature prominent Tennessee conservatives celebrate Blackburn’s role in the successful 2003 effort to defeat an income tax proposal.
Blackburn’s videos include remarks from State Senator Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), former State Representatives Mae Beavers and Donna Barrett, and Nashville Tea Party founder Ben Cunningham, who each noted the senator was a key figure in the 2003 effort, which saw Blackburn successfully use conservative talk radio to leverage an outpouring of grassroots activists against a proposed 3.5 percent state income tax.
Johnson reflected on “the courage it must have taken” for Blackburn to defy Tennessee Republicans when she rallied constituents to oppose the effort, despite knowing Republicans, including former Governor Don Sundquist, were willing to work with Democrats to pass the tax.
“It showed me that you can make a difference, and that’s something that Marsha Blackburn taught a lot of us who were passionate and wanted to be involved,” said Johnson. “Ultimately, despite the efforts of a Democratic-controlled General Assembly, and a Governor that was pushing a state income tax, Marsha Blackburn made sure it didn’t happen.”
Cunningham similarly reflected, “Marsha understood the importance of the moment like nobody else, and how absolutely critical it was that we come out there and we stop it.”
Beavers, who was a colleague of Blackburn at the time, reflected that Republican leadership was likely “irate about what we were doing… They didn’t like it.”
Also a colleague of Blackburn at the time, Barrett said Blackburn’s involvement generated intense public opposition to the income tax proposal.
“As we were going around to rallies during the campaign season, Marsha would get on stage and had this unimaginable amount of energy that you had no choice but to follow,” said Barrett. “She was right on the issues, she had the people’s support.”
After the income tax proposal was defeated, Tennessee went on to approve legislation for an amendment to the Tennessee Constitution, which in 2014 permanently banned prohibited lawmakers in the Volunteer State from levying an income tax on its citizens.
In a statement about the video, Blackburn said, “When Tennesseans made it clear they didn’t want a state income tax, I fought for them, and together we stopped it.”
The senator stated, “The victory we achieved to ensure Tennessee does not – and never will – have an income tax was a noteworthy grassroots effort that shows what happens when a government works for the people. Today, Tennessee is proudly one of the most economically friendly states in the union.”
Polling previously showed Blackburn holding a double-digit lead over Johnson, her Democratic opponent, and in July her campaign reported a financial advantage of more than $7 million.
Watch the full digital ad released by Blackburn:
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Image “Sen. Marsha Blackburn” by Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
She and Hagerty issued a joint statement on 01/02/2021 stating that they would oppose the results of the 2020 election. So, what changed their minds? The joint statement does not seem to be available on either Marsha’s or Hagerty’s senate webpages anymore, but I copied it shortly after 01/06/2021 in case it might later be removed.
From the joint statement:
“On behalf of Tennesseans, we are taking a united stand against the tainted electoral results from the recent Presidential election,” said Senator Marsha Blackburn and Senator-elect Bill Hagerty. “American democracy relies on the consent of the governed. Allegations of voter fraud, irregularities and unconstitutional actions diminish public confidence in what should be a free, fair and transparent process. Protecting the integrity of the electoral process is paramount to preserving trust and legitimacy in the final outcome.”
“For critical moments like these, the Constitution reserves the right to challenge the Electoral College results to members of Congress. On January 6, we will vote to oppose certification of the 2020 election results.”
As a lifelong Tennessee resident, Im grateful to all the brave Tennessee Legislators that voted against the State Income Tax. It was a very emotional time for us all.
After Marsha launched her career from State Senator to US Senator, she had an opportunity to speak fir us a tge National Level.
I wish Marsha would use her Great National Powers to help the J6 Prisoners whom she has ignored.
These Americans whose Civil Rights have been so flagrantly violated. Most charges are for trespassing yet the Patriots, most who are retired Law Enforcement, Green Berets, Seals. They are being put in solitaire confinement for months at a time, in deplorable inhumane conditions. Not one J6er has been charged with the Media-generated Lie that the Stop the Steal Protest was an INSURRECTION. No one was armed other than the Capitol Police & the DC POLICE.
TRUMP OFFERED 10K National Guard Troops for crowd control bc a Million People were expected to attend. Nancy Pelosi was responsible for the Security of the Capitol & the Mayor for the city. They both turned down Trumps offer of Security Assistance.
Patriots came from all over the country to support their Congress members in their effort to STOP the Certification of Biden as President. They wanted the votes to be returned to the States to be audited where there was massive amounts of proof that Election Fraud occured, Especially in the swing states where counting of the votes stopped completely.
The EVIDENCE was MASSIVE.
Tennesseans were watching in disbelief as Senators Marsha Blackburn & Bill Hagerty both voted to certify Joe Biden as the legitimate POTUS. They caved to the pressure,crasher than standing for the Republic.
Marsha has a constituent Scott McAbee former Deputy Sheriff in Dickson County who still sits in jail.
I haven’t seen a single media ask her WHY she voted to make Biden President. Why she allowed the suffering Americans have endured due to her lack of Courage.
Yes she fought against the State Income Tax while she served in the Tennessee General Assembly. But so did a lot of others. There were Democrats that voted against the State Income Tax; that courageously attended those same public Rallies & media interviews. So she did not single handedly fight Don Sundquist & the Democrats. The Democrats who voted NO on the State Income Tax were threatened & demonized. Afterwards, the Democrat Leadership actually moved their Legislative Office out of the Legislative Plaza to the War Memorial Building in the middle of the night with no warning as their vindictive punishment.
So please Marsha, use your power right now to fight for the good people who sit in jail bc Joe Biden was Certified, as we the Voters watched in disbelief.
You want to go back to 2003 to give recognition for COURAGE? WHAT ABOUT COURAGE TODAY?
The voting record of my Congressman, Marsha Blackburn, show that she does support Big Federal Government, More Spending, and Less freedom. I know that most of the attendants at the Germantown meeting love her and believe that she supports the constitution, but, a least 50 people read about her true votes in congress, the ones she never mentions, the ones like, Foreign Aid, funding the REAL-ID act, the first economic stimulus, Warrantless Searches and the Patriot Act Reauthorization. Just some of the unconstitutional bills that she supports.