We keep being told by state leaders that Tennessee is thriving. But in reality, grocery prices continue to soar and families are struggling to make ends meet. Our state government isn't working for us, it’s working for big corporations, with tax giveaways and special deals for a wealthy few. But, some lawmakers have a bill to start to even the scales, by ending the grocery tax and closing corporate tax loopholes.

Did you know that in 2024 the Tennessee Legislature passed a bill giving more than $1.5 billion dollars worth of tax breaks and refunds to multinational corporations like FedEx, Amazon, Nissan and Ford? Meanwhile, when considering cutting taxes for families at the grocery store, Revenue Subcommittee Chairman Senator Joey Hensley said that was a “pipe dream." Ending the grocery tax and closing corporate loopholes is not a pipe dream. In fact, ending the grocery tax is tremendously popular amongst most Tennesseans, and we are only one of our 10 states that has still not abolished the grocery tax.

We can’t just end the grocery tax without replacing the revenue it brings into the state to continue funding essential services like roads and schools. We already have underfunded schools and public services. We need to close the loopholes that big businesses are exploiting to make them pay up. Year after year, the Tennessee legislature delivers for big business like lowering FedEx’s airline tax from $32 million dollars to capping it at $1 million dollars while it undercuts our communities by gutting our public education system, overruling local governments, and outlawing accountability tools like community benefits agreements and more.

It’s time to act. Send a letter to the House Finance Sub-Committee and Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee. Tell them to stop protecting corporate interests and start delivering for Tennessee families. We are calling on the committee to pass Rep. Behn and Sen. Oliver’s bill to close corporate tax loopholes and end the grocery tax. Let’s build a state that works for all of us — not just the wealthy few.