Month: August 2022

Download a PDF of this report here.

How does your legislator stack up? What is their grade?

Here is the good news about your State Representative, Terri Lynn Weaver.

Serving district 40 since 2009, she has been a mighty warrior for conservative values. This year she is the highest scoring member of the entire Tennessee House of Representatives, scoring a remarkable 98% in a very tough year.

Corporate welfare defined this legislative session, but we believe public risk for private benefit is wrong. Our state government should not be giving taxpayer money to private entities. Kudos to Ms. Weaver for choosing to defend taxpayers and small business owners instead of billion dollar corporations.

Weaver showed remarkable courage, defying lobbyists and leadership by voting NO on three major corporate welfare bills:

• Voted AGAINST bills to provide over $1 billion dollars for an electric vehicle plant in West Tennessee
• Voted AGAINST a bill to provide a half billion dollars for a new Titans stadium
• Voted AGAINST a bill to give an 80% tax-break to Cincinnati Reds farm team

Rep. Weaver earned an A for leadership, accruing an impressive 80 merits in sponsorships, co-sponsorships, and other meritorious actions.

She supported constitutionally conservative bills selected by this organization, including on education. She passed a bill that requires passing a civics exam for high school graduation, a bill that makes obscene or pornographic material in school libraries a criminal act, and she voted against the new education funding formula which provided more money, but did little to reform key problems in Tennessee schools.

Principles supported: education reform, medical freedom, gun rights, fiscal responsibility, governmental transparency, election integrity, and constitutional fidelity.

It’s important to retain legislators that hold the line and represent ordinary Tennesseans, and just as important to replace those that do not.

For information on all 132 members of the Tennessee General Assembly, go to: tnreportcard.org

Your Tennessee Legislative Report Card Team

Download a PDF of this report here.

How does your legislator stack up? What is their grade?

Here is the bad news about your State Senator, Jack Johnson.

First elected to the State Senate in 2006, Johnson has never had an opponent in

the Republican primary, and his extremely low score of 62 reflects that lack of challengers. Johnson is the fourth lowest scoring Republican in the Senate.

Johnson previously voted to raise the gas tax by 25%,

driving fuel costs higher than necessary in Tennessee.

And this year, corporate welfare defined the legislative session. We believe public risk for private benefit is wrong. Our state government should not be giving taxpayer money to private entities. Sadly, Senator Johnson refused to defend taxpayers and small business owners, and gave their money to billion dollar corporations by voting YES on three major corporate welfare bills:

• He voted YES to provide over $1 billion dollars for an electric vehicle plant in West Tennessee
• He voted YES to provide a half billion dollars for a new Titans stadium
• He voted YES to give an 80% tax-break to Cincinnati Reds farm team

Senator Johnson earned a C for leadership, which is particularly significant when he is the Senate Majority Leader and has great influence over the other Republican members.

In just one example, Senator Johnson feigned an objection to the $500 million for the new Tennessee Titans Stadium by removing it from the budget, but then went on to vote for it when the time came.

The Tennessee Legislative Report Card grades legislators on bills and leadership that allow every Tennessean to thrive, paying particular attention to education reform, medical freedom, fiscal responsibility, property rights, and cronyism.

We are sad to report that Senator Jack Johnson is not living up to those principles. It’s important to retain legislators that hold the line and represent ordinary Tennesseans, and just as important to replace those that do not.

For information on all 132 members of the Tennessee General Assembly, go to: tnreportcard.org

Your Tennessee Legislative Report Card Team