Rep. Aftyn Behn marks 'tax-free weekend' calling for repeal of Tennessee’s grocery tax
Rep. Aftyn Behn marks the back-to-school tax-free weekend by calling for the repeal of Tennessee’s grocery tax, emphasizing the need for real tax cuts that benefit working class Tennesseans.
July 25, 2024
RE: Rep. Aftyn Behn marks 'tax-free weekend' calling for repeal of Tennessee’s grocery tax
NASHVILLE—The Democratic lawmakers who introduced legislation to end Tennessee’s sky-high grocery tax are marking the back-to-school tax-free weekend by calling for the legislature to pass real tax cuts for working and middle-class families—as it has for big corporations.
While the annual back-to-school tax-free weekend from July 26 to July 28, 2024, is welcome, Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, says these meager tax cuts for families pale in comparison to the multi-billion dollar handouts Republicans gave corporations in 2023 and 2024.
Rep. Behn says Republican-approved corporate tax breaks have done nothing to ease rising costs for working and middle-class families, and it’s time for a new approach in the legislature that prioritizes families above corporate campaign donors.
"A three-day sales tax holiday is offensive to working moms and dads when you compare it to the billions of tax dollars that Republicans have handed over to big corporations,” said Rep. Behn. “This weekend is a reminder that we must continue our fight to cut costs for working families by ending the grocery tax forever.”
Research compiled by the nonpartisan think tank Think Tennessee shows that lower-income families in Tennessee pay a combined state and local tax rate three times higher than the rate paid by the top 1 percent of wage earners in the state. According to the research, middle-income families pay double the effective tax rate that the average corporation pays.
The grocery tax disproportionately affects low- and middle-income families because these families must spend a higher percentage of their income on necessities, like food. Ending the state’s 4% food tax would put real money back into the pockets of hardworking Tennesseans year-round and reduce some inequity in Tennessee’s tax code.
Senator Oliver, the Senate co-sponsor of the bill, said: “Republicans are proud of the huge tax breaks they gave big corporations, but it’s not helping regular families and it never trickles down,” Sen. Oliver said. “My legislative goal is to ensure every family has the tools they need to build a good life. People want real, sustainable solutions to cut monthly costs because only one weekend of savings a year is insulting.”
Rep. Behn says it's time for comprehensive tax reform that prioritizes the economic well-being of all Tennesseans, not just the wealthy few. She intends to file legislation to repeal Tennessee’s grocery tax when the legislative session begins in January.
Aftyn Behn
House Representative, House District 51
113th Tennessee General Assembly