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The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
A resolution to amend the Tennessee Constitution and effectively ban the General Assembly from permitting a statewide property tax in Tennessee passed in the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 7-2 vote on Tuesday evening.
During a Feb. 25th committee meeting Republican Senators Todd Gardenhire, Bobby Harshbarger, Kerry Roberts, Paul Rose, John Stevens, Brent Taylor, and Dawn White voted in favor of the resolution and Democrat Senators Sara Kyle and London Lamar voted against it.
The resolution has been sent to the Senate Calendar Committee to be scheduled for consideration on the Senate floor.
Senate Joint Resolution 1 (SJR0001), sponsored by Sen. Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin-District 18), is “a resolution to propose an amendment to Article II, Section 28 to prohibit the general assembly from levying, authorizing, or otherwise permitting a state tax on property.”
Currently, the list of co-sponsors includes Republican Senators Adam Lowe, Page Walley, Paul Bailey, Jack Johnson, Richard Briggs, Dawn White, Joey Hensley, Mark Pody, John Stevens, Becky Duncan Massey, Kerry Roberts, Paul Rose, Bobby Harshbarger, Jessie Seal, and Ken Yager.
Rep. Tandy Darby (R-Greenfield-District 76) is sponsoring the corresponding House Joint Resolution 2 (HJR0002).
Republican Representatives Mark White, Yusuf Hakeem, Elaine Davis, Greg Martin, and Jeff Burkhart are currently listed as co-sponsors of this resolution in the House.
HJR0002 has been assigned to the House Cities and Counties Subcommittee but has not yet been put on the calendar for consideration.
During the 2024 legislative session, the Tennessee House and Senate both passed joint resolutions on the subject, beginning the process to amend the state constitution.
If this resolution passes with a 2/3 majority vote in both legislative chambers in 2025, the constitutional amendment will be voted on by Tennesseans at the ballot box in 2026.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. Adelia is The Tennessee Conservative’s on-site reporter for the Tennessee General Assembly. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
