TN House Majority Whip Johnny Garrett: There Is Discussion About the Constitutionality of Our Franchise Excise Tax Law

Johnny Garrett

Majority Whip Johnny Garrett joined the newsmaker line on Monday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to share his insights on the new legislative session as it begins its second week at home as snow continues to blanket the region.

Garrett expressed optimism about Governor Bill Lee’s proposed education freedom scholarships, though he said he does anticipate some opposition to the proposal.

The conversation then turned to the potential constitutional issue regarding the franchise excise tax law that could leave taxpayers on the hook for as much as $1.2 billion. Garrett noted Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is evaluating the claims to see if tax relief for the companies in question would address constitutional concerns.

Read the full story

State Senator Hensley Confirms Tennessee Will Likely Owe Out-of-State Companies Up to $1 Billion Due to Constitutional Flaw in Decades Old Law

Joey Hensley

State Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy in-studio on Thursday to discuss new allegations by a group of out-of-state companies that say they are owed for taxes they paid to the tune of more than a billion dollars. The companies’ claims stem from a 1932 law that applies a different formula to in-state companies versus firms located outside of Tennessee.

Read the full story