The Club for Growth Foundation on Thursday released to The Tennessee Star the 2024 Tennessee State Economic Scorecard, with the educational nonprofit’s president, David McIntosh, declaring “there is much to be done in Nashville,” for Tennessee to live up to its reputation as “one of the most conservative states in the country.”
McIntosh credited Tennessee lawmakers for passing a fiscally conservative budget and expanding school choice, but highlighted other moves by the General Assembly as problematic to the free market group.
“While lawmakers in the Volunteer State made progress on important issues, including passing a 6 percent cut in the State’s budget agreement and establishing the creation of opportunity charter schools, both chambers inexplicably voted unanimously for a $1.6 billion Medicaid provider tax increase while also further empowering central planning boards to spend taxpayer dollars,” stated McIntosh. “Legislators must reevaluate their priorities to ensure the next generation of Tennesseans is positioned to compete and succeed.”
New laws highlighted as “anti-growth” by the foundation included Senate Bill (SB) 1137 and SB 1545, and SB 1740.
The legislative summary for SB 1137 states that it authorized “a litigation financier,” other than a business entity or partnership, to withdraw its registry from the Secretary of State. According to the Club for Growth Foundation, the bill resulted in giving “more concentrated power to local central-planning authorities by authorizing municipalities to funnel taxpayer-backed resources, except those accrued from property taxes, to industrial development boards for the development of new government housing.”
Club for Growth Foundation similarly raised concern over SB 1545, which established a program for foster parents working for the State of Tennessee to receive up to six months of paid leave, by calling it a mandate for “new taxes on Tennesseans” through the expansion of a taxpayer-funded program that already existed.
Though enacted by lawmakers in 2024, SB 1740 took effect during the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Requiring hospitals to pay a provider tax to fund TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid program, the foundation said it will result in a $3 billion increase in federal Medicaid pending for Tennessee in its first year.
The Club for Growth Foundation also scored Tennessee’s state lawmakers for their pro-growth voting record, with the nonprofit giving Republicans in the Tennessee House the highest average score at 56 percent.
State Representative Justin Lafferty (R-Knoxville) was rated as the most pro-growth lawmaker in the State House, with a score of 71 percent, while State Representative Johnny Shaw (D-Bolivar) was the highest scoring Democrat at 41 percent.
The foundation’s lowest ranked Republicans were State Representatives Tandy Darby (R-Greenfield) and Kirk Haston (R-Lobelville), who both scored 40 percent.
State Representative Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), who missed much of the legislative session following the suicide of his brother, was the lowest ranking Democrat. The Club for Growth Foundation assigned him a score of 0 percent.
Democrats in the State House received an average score of 11 percent.
Republicans in the State Senate scored similarly under the foundation’s analysis, with an average of 54 percent. State Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) was ranked highest, at 68 percent, while the lowest scoring Republican was State Senator Art Swann (R-Maryville), who was scored at 42 percent.
Unlike in the State House, where Club for Growth Foundation’s highest ranking Democrat received a score commensurate with the chamber’s Republicans, the foundation ranked State Senator Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) was the highest ranking Democrat with a score of just 15 percent.
The lowest ranking Democrat in the State Senate was Senator Charlane Oliver (D-Nashville), who was scored at 5 percent.
Club for Growth Foundation began issuing state scorecards based on lawmakers’ votes on key economic votes in 2019, when it revealed that its scoring process required the foundation to comb through around 40,000 votes taken by state lawmakers.
See the full scorecard here:
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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].
A very red population with a legislature that rules like a blue state. Bigger and bigger government every session. Now Lee wants to get a SNAP waiver to give those getting food stamps the right to buy hot prepared meals. That is an extra cost because of the charge above and beyond the cost of the actual food stuffs. This is WRONG! And why are the almost 3/4 million Tennesseans on food stamps in the first place. There is something wrong with this picture. And I am tired of paying for it.