Steve Southerland

Senator Steve Southerland, (R) District 1, has served in the Tennessee State Senate since 2003. Senator Southerland has a respectable vote score of 72%, placing him #10 in a body of 33, showing a little room for improvement. His leadership grade of D indicates a personal lack of pro-freedom initiatives. Leadership grades are based on sponsorships, co-sponsorships, amendments, and other acts, both good (+) and bad (-).

TLRC scores and grades reflect the entire process, not just end results.  We count every vote on every selected bill. Bills are selected for their value to ordinary Tennesseans, or their insult to those values. We encourage our General Assembly members to support the former and oppose the latter. When they do not, they lose points.

Senator Southerland supported the following TLRC endorsed bills:

• HB1137/SB1197 – No restrictions on church activities in declared emergency
• HB1749/SB2285 – Court decisions de novo, not based on a state agency’s interpretation
• HB1867/SB1823 – Vaccine exemptions protected
• HB1871/SB1982 – Recognition that natural immunity is equal or superior to vaccine
• HB1960/SB1884 – No government vaccine mandates
• HB2128/SB2245 – Election integrity measures
• HB2316/SB2153 – No males in girls’ sports
• HB2331/SB2558 – Auditable paper trail voting machines
• HB2454/SB2292 – Redefines “obscene” to include educational material in K-12 making it unlawful
• HB2666/SB2247 – Requires Textbook Commission to provide a list of approved material to GA members
• HB2742/SB2728 – Requires HS to teach virtues of capitalism and the constitution
• HB2746/SB2188 – Makes Ivermectin available over the counter

Here are five TLRC-opposed bills that Senator Southerland supported:

• HB0204/SB0136 The Crown Act- protecting ethnic hairstyles in the work place
• HB1201/SB1005  Changes in campaign finance giving advantage to incumbents; limiting freedom of speech  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK5Ov35oRxI 
• HB2609/SB2890 – Cincinnati Reds 80% tax-break for Chattanooga farm team
• HB2886/SB2901 – Provides $500M for Titans to build new stadium
• HB8002/SB8002 – Provides $678,218,300 of taxpayer money for Ford to build an electric vehicle plant in W. TN

Corporate welfare in all forms should be opposed. Our state government should not be giving economic advantages to any public or private for-profit entities. Let the free market pick the winners and losers. Jobs would come to Tennessee if we were actually to reform our education system and to educate instead of indoctrinate. A well-educated workforce would be unique in America and every business would want to be in our right-to-work, no income tax state. Members should rethink these handouts.

Senator Southerland is not leading in the battle against bigger government and for our 10th amendment rights to make good policy decisions for ordinary Tennesseans by Tennesseans. We are in crisis. He can and must do better.

By listing these bills, we hope that tells you what you need to know about your General Assembly members.

We encourage you to reach out and let them know how you feel about the various issues and VOTE accordingly. To contact members, go to: https://www.capitol.tn.gov