A resolution prohibiting the Tennessee General Assembly from establishing a statewide property tax passed the State Senate on Wednesday. All but six state senators voted for Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 1 by State Senator Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin).
The resolution received a total of 26 votes in the State Senate, with State Senators Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville), Sara Kyle (D-Memphis), London Lamar (D-Memphis), Charlane Oliver (D-Nashville), and Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville) voting against it, while State Senator Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) voted present. All Republicans voted for the resolution.
According to its summary, the legislation proposes language “to prohibit the general assembly from levying, authorizing, or otherwise permitting a state tax on property,” and the text of the resolution reveals it would add to the Tennessee Constitution a stipulation that “the Legislature shall not levy, authorize, or otherwise any state tax upon such property.”