"The Legislative Scorecard is a tool for citizens to see how their lawmakers at the State House voted on some of the most critical issues from the session."
NASHVILLE – Americans for Prosperity - Tennessee (AFP-TN) today released its 2022 Legislative Scorecard.
The full Scorecard downloadable PDF is available here. The digital version of the scorecard can be found by visiting TNScorecard.com. AFP-TN will follow up the release with digital and direct mail promoting the scorecard.
AFP-TN State Director Tori Venable released the following statement:
“This legislative session was a mixed bag for taxpayers. While there were real wins for students and parents, the legislature also pushed through corporate handouts on the taxpayer dime, such as a new football stadium and Hollywood films. The Legislative Scorecard is a tool for citizens to see how their lawmakers voted on some of the most critical issues affecting Tennessee. It is also an opportunity for us to highlight and thank Taxpayer Heroes like Sen. Mark Pody and Rep. Jay Reedy."
"It is an honor to receive this rating from such an esteemed organization as AFP," said Sen. Mark Pody (R-Lebanon), a Taxpayer Hero. "AFP is a watchdog for the TN taxpayers. AFP is also known for defending citizens rights and freedoms."
The TN scorecard was based on votes on the following 16 bills:
- K-12 Funding Reform (Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement) (HB 2143/ SB 2396): This bill updates outdated formulas used to determine education funding, shifting the focus to students to better utilize tax dollars and ensure students are on a path to success. (Support)
- Learn Everywhere (HB 1850/ SB 2887): This bill allows families and students to enroll in online courses at other schools regardless if those courses are offered at the students current school. (Support)
- Dyslexia ESA (HB 751/ SB 1158): This bill expands IEPs and funding for students with dyslexia. (Support)
- Open Enrollment (HB 1305/ SB 788): This bill changes the current lottery system from open enrollment and allows students to freely transfer to another school within the same district. (Support)
- $500M Taxpayer-Funded Stadium (HB 2886/ SB 2901): This bill provides up to $710 million of taxpayer dollars for a new Titans stadium. (Oppose)
- Hotel Tax Hike for Stadium (HB 681/ SB 421): This legislation increases hotel and motel taxes, further increasing taxpayer financing for a new Titans stadium. (Oppose)
- Ford $1.2 Billion Tax Incentive (HB/ SB 8002): This bill started as an initial request of $500 million for economic development and increased to $1 billion. (Oppose)
- Hollywood Handouts (HB 14/ SB 736): This bill gives taxpayer-funded incentives to Hollywood projects in Tennessee. (Oppose)
- Non-Profit Targeting (HB 1201/ SB 1005): This bill is promoted as an ‘campaign finance’ reform bill and was supposed to protect donor privacy. It has turned into a red tape bill that adds more bureaucratic processes, not transparency. (Oppose)
- Certificate of Need Reform** (HB 948/ SB 128): This bill repeals certain Certificate-of-Need (CON) laws and simplifies the process for remaining CONs. (Support)
- Locksmith Licensure Repeal (HB 09/ SB 012): This bill allows locksmiths to operate without obtaining government authorization and licenses. (Support)
- Personal Privacy Protection (HB 0159/ SB 1608): This bill prevents government agencies from releasing, publicizing, and publicly disclosing personal information of individuals. (Support)
- Right to Work Constitutional Amendment (HJR 72/ SJR2): This amendment ensures Tennessee remains a right to work state. (Support)
- Victims' Restitution Reform** (HB870/ SB 893): This bill ensures victims receive court-ordered restitution first, instead of the restitution money going to administrative court costs then the victim. (Support)
- Re-Entry Success Act (HB 785/ SB 768): This bill eliminates fees and bureaucratic processes for people coming out of the corrections system. (Support)
- CAF Attorney Fees (HB 1254/ SB 1361): This bill allows property owners who succeed in civil asset forfeiture cases to recover up to $10,000. By increasing the cap to ten thousand dollars, property owners increase their likelihood of ensuring due process. (Support)
Through broad-based grassroots outreach, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is driving long-term solutions to the country’s biggest problems. AFP activists engage friends and neighbors on key issues and encourage them to take an active role in building a culture of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping one another. AFP recruits and unites Tennesseans behind a common goal of advancing policies that will help people improve their lives. For more information, visit www.AmericansForProsperity.org