Legislative Recap: Limited Government and the Regulatory Freedom Act

Tennesseans are self-reliant people. We do not need bureaucrats in Washington or unaccountable regulators in Nashville telling us how to run our businesses, raise our children, or live our lives. Limited government means more than talking about freedom. It means keeping government accountable, reducing unnecessary burdens, and protecting the ability of citizens to challenge government when it oversteps.

This session, the General Assembly passed several measures aimed at reining in government and putting more decision-making back in the hands of the people.

The Regulatory Freedom Act, HB 1913, requires state government agencies to be more transparent and accountable when proposed rule changes cost the private sector money. For years, agencies have written rules with the force of law, often without enough public input or meaningful oversight from elected officials. HB 1913 helps change that. When a rule will cost Tennessee families, small businesses, farmers, or job creators real dollars, the agency should have to make the case in public, on the record, and be subject to legislative scrutiny.

HB 2186 allows local governments to reduce sales tax on groceries, putting more dollars back in the pockets of families struggling with inflation at the grocery store. This is the kind of local control I support: decisions made closer to the people, by officials who actually have to look their neighbors in the eye at the gas station, grocery store, or church.

I voted no on HB 1971 because, while I understand the desire to rein in abusive litigation, I had serious concerns about the impact this bill could have on Tennessee citizens trying to challenge unconstitutional laws.

The right of citizens to go to court when the government violates their rights is one of the most important safeguards against government overreach. My concern with HB 1971 is that it makes that process harder, more costly, and more uncertain for ordinary Tennesseans. Limiting frivolous lawsuits is a worthy goal, but we should be very careful not to close the courthouse doors to citizens who are trying to defend their constitutional rights.

Limited government requires accountability. And the government is not truly accountable if citizens lose practical access to the courts when their rights are violated.

HB 2476 increases transparency and accountability for certain local government pension plans by requiring annual reports on direct investment holdings and prohibiting contracts with proxy advisory firms that do not comply with state standards. Tennessee’s public pension dollars should be invested for the benefit of retirees, not used as ammunition for activist agendas.

SJR 551 begins the process of aligning local elections with state election cycles by moving primary elections to August and general elections to November. Higher turnout, less voter confusion, and more accountable local government are goals worth pursuing.

We also passed a zero-debt, balanced budget. I voted for the budget because it funded important state priorities, maintained Tennessee’s strong fiscal position, and avoided new debt. However, I also believe we should have gone further in reducing spending. Tennessee’s budget has grown significantly in recent years, and fiscal responsibility requires more than balancing the books. It requires asking whether the government should be spending the money in the first place.

I will continue pushing for a smaller, more disciplined state government that respects taxpayers, protects constitutional rights, and remembers that every dollar the government spends first came from the people.

Limited government is not a slogan. It is a discipline. It requires transparency, restraint, and the humility to remember that the government exists to serve the people, not the other way around.