Washington, D.C. – The Club for Growth Foundation published its 2024 Tennessee State Economic Scorecard, providing a detailed analysis of how legislators in Nashville approach economic policy across the Volunteer State. The Tennessee Star’s Tom Pappert covered the release in an exclusive report.
The Scorecard analyzes policies and votes to assign an Economic Growth Score from 0 to 100, with 100 representing the highest support for pro-growth policies. In 2024, the Foundation reviewed over 5,000 floor votes, scoring 14 Tennessee House and 17 Tennessee Senate votes.
“While Tennessee is normally heralded as one of the most conservative states in the country, the data from The Foundation’s 2024 scorecard proves there is much to be done in Nashville,” said Club for Growth Foundation President David McIntosh. “While lawmakers in the Volunteer State made progress on important issues, including passing a 6% 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. Legislators must reevaluate their priorities to ensure the next generation of Tennesseans is positioned to compete and succeed.”
Click here to read the full 2024 Tennessee State Economic Scorecard from the Club for Growth Foundation.
Key Highlights from the 2024 Tennessee Scorecard:
Tennessee Senate:
- Average Republican Score: 54%
- Average Democrat Score: 11%
- Highest Rated Republican(s): Sen. Joey Hensley (SD-28): 68%
- Highest Rated Democrat(s): Sen. Raumesh Akbari (SD-29): 15%
- Lowest Rated Republican(s): Sen. Art Swann (SD-02): 42%
- Lowest Rated Democrat(s): Sen. Charlane Oliver (SD-19): 5%
Tennessee House:
- Average Republican Score: 56%
- Average Democratic Score: 17%
- Highest Rated Republican(s): Rep. Justin Lafferty (HD-89): 71%
- Highest Rated Democrats(s): Rep. Johnny Shaw (HD-80): 41%
- Lowest Rated Republican(s): Rep. Tandy Darby (HD-76) and Rep. Kirk Haston (HD-72): 40%
- Lowest Rated Democrats(s): Rep. Justin Pearson (HD-86): 0%
Notable Pro-Growth Legislation:
HB 2641 – REDUCED GROCERY TAX
- Ensures the tax rate on food is lower than the tax rate for other goods and services or that food is exempted entirely from the local sales tax
HB 2973 – DECENT BUDGET AGREEMENT
- Allocates $52.8 billion in spending for the FY2024-FY2025, a 6% decrease compared to the previous budget agreement
- Eliminates the alternative minimum tax and provides over $1.5 billion in refunds to business owners
- Provides funding for the governor’s proposed school choice program
- Eliminates roughly $100 million in programmatic spending propped up by federal COVID funds
SB 2820 – MODEST SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAM
- Creates opportunity charter schools in Tennessee for grades 6-12 where eligibility requires at least 75 percent of students to be considered “at-risk” and live in households with income below 400 percent of the federal poverty level
- Participation in such a school is contingent on parental choice
Notable Anti-Growth Legislation:
SB 1137 – EMPOWERED CENTRAL PLANNING AUTHORITIES
- 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
SB 1545 – NEW GOVERNMENT PAID LEAVE MANDATE
- Mandates new taxes on Tennesseans by expanding an existing taxpayer-funded paid leave program by providing six weeks of paid leave for government employees who foster a child
SB 1740 – MEDICAID PROVIDER TAX INCREASE SCHEME
- Authorizes the state to submit a waiver to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for approval of an estimated $1.6 billion provider tax assessment for FY2024-25
- Hospitals are required to pay up to 6 percent of their annual net revenue into the maintenance of the coverage trust fund.
- Estimate annual increase of $3 billion in new federal Medicaid dollars for Tennessee in FY2024-25
Note: This Scorecard is based on selected votes and does not reflect a legislator’s entire voting record. The Club for Growth Foundation does not endorse or oppose any legislator for public office.