When the 2025 legislative session kicked off, Tennesseans had one clear demand: help working families build a better life. Voters asked for relief from inflation and rising costs. They asked for better public schools, affordable healthcare, safe communities, and the chance to earn a decent wage. In short, they asked the legislature to do its job.
But Republican Party lawmakers had other plans.
Instead of cutting grocery taxes or raising wages, the GOP-controlled General Assembly took care of their corporate donors and raised interest rates on working families.
Instead of investing in public schools, they approved a $1.1 billion voucher scam to subsidize private school tuition—mostly for families already enrolled in those schools. Instead of protecting basic freedoms and economic security, Republicans launched cruel attacks on immigrant families, gutted civil rights protections, and passed new laws to pollute our land, water and democracy.
While Democrats pushed to rebuild Tennessee’s middle class—with plans to expand pre-K, fix roads, fund schools, and reduce costs—Republicans rammed through a reckless agenda designed to distract, divide and enrich the powerful.
The result? A slate of new laws, many taking effect July 1, and a promise to make life harder, less fair and less free for millions of Tennesseans.
Here are the 11 worst new laws as judged by staff of the Senate Democratic Caucus and a handful of dishonorable mentions:
11. Repealed diversity goals for state boards, threatening representation for Black and brown Tennesseans
Senate Bill 1235 — Republicans passed a law banning state boards and commissions—including those overseeing healthcare, consumer protections, and economic development—from considering race, ethnicity, or national origin when appointing members.
The law eliminates long-standing provisions in Tennessee code that encouraged racial diversity on dozens of boards, including the boards of medical examiners, real estate appraisers and contractors. It also removes the requirement for governors and commissioners to strive for diverse representation, even on bodies that make decisions impacting historically marginalized communities.
Additionally, the bill establishes a new right to sue state boards over diversity-related appointments and awards a minimum of $4,000 in damages per violation—even if no harm is proven. So aggrieved white people can sue when a Black or Asian person is appointed to a state boards, but not the other way around.
Critics warn this law will almost certainly lead to fewer Black and minority members serving on state boards, undermining inclusive governance and accountability.
The law took effect immediately upon signage on April 24.
10. Law shields gun industry from lawsuits—even in cases of proven negligence
Senate Bill 1360 — Republicans passed a sweeping law that gives extraordinary legal immunity to gun manufacturers and sellers—even when they act recklessly or knowingly arm dangerous individuals.
The law guts long-standing legal protections by eliminating negligence claims, raising the legal burden of proof to a near-impossible standard, and forcing courts to throw out legitimate lawsuits. Victims may now have no legal path to hold bad actors accountable in state courts.
The bill also expands state preemption, further stripping cities and counties of the ability to regulate firearms—even on common-sense issues like gun discharge in public areas.
With gunshot wounds now the leading cause of death for children in Tennessee, this law protects gun industry profits over public safety.
The law will take effect July 1.
9. Law stymies efforts to regulate toxic ‘forever chemicals’
Senate Bill 880 — Republicans passed a dangerous law that ties the hands of Tennessee’s environmental protection and public health agencies, preventing them from advancing regulations on toxic “forever chemicals” like PFAs — pollutants linked to cancer, infertility and death.
Backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and chemical manufacturers, the law forbids state action against any “contaminant, pollutant, hazardous substance, solid waste or hazardous waste” unless officials present research that proves the toxins caused "manifest bodily harm," a standard that puts corporate profits ahead of Tennesseans’ health and safety.
Of course, health research always lags behind production, sometimes by decades. For instance, tobacco products predate the United States, but a government-mandated warning label wasn’t added until the 1960s.
Meanwhile, PFAs — per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances — are a group of man-made chemicals that do not break down in the environment. These “forever chemicals” have been found in 60% of the waters in Northeast Tennessee . Vanderbilt University is currently leading a project to identify small, rural communities in Tennessee where “forever chemicals” are contaminating their water systems.
The law takes effect July 1.
8. Law gives healthcare providers license to deny care based on personal beliefs
Senate Bill 955 — Republicans passed the so-called “Medical Ethics Defense Act,” a law that allows doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers to refuse care based on their personal religious or moral beliefs. The bill was written by Alliance Defending Freedom, a billionaire-backed group known for opposing reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights and gender-affirming care.
The law creates new legal protections for healthcare providers who deny procedures, treatments or services—regardless of the medical standard of care or the needs of the patient.
It opens the door to refusals of care related to reproductive health, gender-affirming treatment, end-of-life decisions, and more—so long as the provider claims a “conscience” objection.
Medical professionals and ethics groups warn the law clashes with long-standing standards of patient care and could lead to discrimination against vulnerable populations.
While the final version includes limited exceptions for emergency care and imminent self-harm, it still gives broad legal cover to deny treatment in non-emergency situations.
The law took effect immediately upon signage on April 24.
7. Law bans government diversity initiatives in hiring, but leaves nepotism, political patronage untouched
Senate Bill 1083 — Republicans passed the so-called “Dismantle DEI Act,” banning state and local governments, public colleges and school systems from considering race, sex or other demographic characteristics in employment decisions — even when diversity efforts help build stronger, more inclusive workplaces.
The law also strips the State Board of Education of its responsibility to promote educator diversity, gutting a commonsense effort to better reflect Tennessee’s student population.
Republicans believe government officials should completely ignore gender for a women’s healthcare position and disregard ethnic backgrounds for position doing outreach to Latino communities.
For the record, this is not about merit or qualifications. While the bill grandstands against “DEI hires,” it still allows officials to hand out jobs to friends, family members and political supporters.
It’s a performative attack on inclusion that does nothing to stop real cronyism — and nothing to address Tennessee’s real problems.
As if this proposal weren’t bad enough, the sponsor brought companion Senate Bill 1084 that banned all levels of government from employing officials who implement diversity initiatives.
Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill into law on May 21 and legislation took effect immediately.
6. Law dismantles Tennessee’s Human Rights Commission, shifts civil rights enforcement to biased political appointees
Senate Bill 861 — Republicans passed a sweeping law that dissolved Tennessee’s Human Rights Commission — an independent watchdog that has protected workers, renters, homeowners and consumers from discrimination for more than 60 years.
The law hands enforcement of state and federal civil rights laws over to the Republican attorney general, a political appointee with a long record of undermining the rights of women, minorities, students and LGBTQ families.
Instead of strengthening independent protections, Republicans chose to put civil rights cases under partisan control.
The bill was signed into law May 12 and it took effect immediately.
5. Law bans THCa smokable hemp, threatening Tennessee’s hemp industry and reviving the black market
Senate Bill 1413 — The General Assembly passed a Republican-sponsored bill that will ban the sale of THCa smokable flower — the most popular and widely sold product in Tennessee’s $250 million hemp industry.
Industry leaders say the law jeopardizes thousands of jobs and will force many Tennessee hemp businesses to shut down or relocate.
“As it stands, it will put every hemp company in Tennessee out of business, period,” said David Saylor, the CEO of a hemp company that operates dozens of retail stores and a manufacturing facility in Tennessee.
Since the law’s passage, the fallout has been swift. Farm2Med announced its closure. The Flower Shop announced its moving. The owner of Veteran Grown says they may leave, too.
In addition to killing Tennessee farms and small businesses, advocates fear that criminalizing the manufacture of hemp THCa products, a natural alternative for managing pain and serious health conditions, also risks sending vulnerable Tennesseans to an unregulated black market.
Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill into law on May 21. Parts of the law took effect immediately and the rest will take effect January 1, 2026.
4. Law opens flood-fighting wetlands to development after historic flooding
Senate Bill 670 — Wetlands are Mother Nature’s best defense against costly and deadly flooding. That’s why, for years, Tennessee law has protected these areas from unchecked development.
No more. A Republican-sponsored law taking effect July 1 will weaken protections for Tennessee’s wetlands and it passed the legislature this spring, just days after devastating storms caused historic flooding across Tennessee.
This law allows developers to pave over low- and moderate-quality wetlands without public notice, permits or mitigation for destruction of up to two acres per site.
Environmental advocates estimate the bill removes protections for up to 80% of Tennessee’s flood-fighting wetlands, which also filter pollutants and recharge groundwater supplies.
The law explicitly blocks the state from considering these wetlands when evaluating the cumulative environmental impact of a development project—even if the project also includes federally protected wetlands.
With intense development planned around Ford’s Blue Oval City and more severe weather forecasted in the region, opponents warn this law will supercharge flooding and shift cleanup and insurance costs to taxpayers.
Property developers backed the bill, while scientists, environmental advocates, and even businesses that specialize in wetland restoration opposed it.
Similar to this legislation, Republicans passed Senate Bill 664 that makes it easier for developers to avoid compensatory mitigation when altering larger wetlands or longer stretches of streams. The measure will reduce state oversight, encourage more unchecked development, and could increase flooding, erosion and pollution in Tennessee waterways.
3. G.O.P. laws raise interest rate caps, increase borrowing costs for working families
(tie) Senate Bill 749 & Senate Bill 694 — Tennesseans will soon be paying higher interest rates on several types of loans due to Republican-backed laws set to take effect July 1.
Senate Bill 749 raises the maximum allowable interest rate on home loans, which, due to federal law, will primarily affect second mortgages, home equity loans and loans issued by unregulated entities.
Under the bill, state officials would begin setting the maximum allowable home loan interest rate at four points above the “average prime offer rate,” which was at 7.50% the day the bill passed. After July 1, the home loan rate cap will be 11.5% — the highest allowable rate in 30 years.
Senate Bill 694 allows moneylenders to charge even higher interest rates and fees on personal loans — hiking costs for Tennesseans already struggling with inflation and rising bills.
The law raises the maximum interest rate from 24% to 36% on loans over $5,000, boosts interest rates on loans under $5,000, and increases fees on all loans under $2,000.
It’ll be multi-million transfer of wealth to high-interest lenders from working families. And it’s not the first time — Republicans raised fees on these exact loan products just four years ago.
2. Gov. Bill Lee’s mass deportation laws
Senate Bill 6002 — Instead of solving real problems like healthcare costs, housing or traffic congestion, Republicans used much of the 2025 legislative session to double down on divisive immigration politics.
Gov. Bill Lee’s mass deportation law, Senate Bill 6002, commits millions in state tax dollars to assist federal ICE agents with detaining and deporting undocumented people—funding a government crackdown that separates families, terrorizes communities and destabilizes the economy.
The law creates a brand-new state "Deportation Czar" and launches a grant program for local governments that enter into detention agreements with ICE. It also changes driver’s license rules for migrant workers and—most dangerously—creates a felony offense for any local official who dares to support “sanctuary city” policies, as defined by the Republican Attorney General. That means city councilmembers or mayors could face criminal charges just for voting their conscience.
And for what? Sanctuary city policies are already banned under Tennessee law. This bill doesn’t solve anything—it’s political theater with real-world consequences.
Worse still, it’s part of a broader pattern. Republicans also passed Senate Bill 392, a so-called anti-trafficking bill written so broadly it could criminalize farmers, builders or contractors who hire or house undocumented workers—a routine practice in industries across Tennessee. Even the state’s business lobby raised alarms that the bill could land employers behind bars.
Taken together, these bills reveal a chilling agenda: target immigrant families, intimidate local leaders, and weaponize the law for partisan goals.
1. G.O.P. expands Gov. Lee’s failing private school voucher scam with a $1.1 billion price tag
Senate Bill 6001 — The 2025 legislative session will be most remembered for one defining action: expanding Gov. Bill Lee’s private school voucher scam at a cost of $1.1 billion over the next five years.
Republicans approved the governor’s proposal to expand his failing private school voucher scheme to every county during a special session in February. Under the law, Lee’s voucher program will divert public dollars to unaccountable private schools by offering 20,000 taxpayer-funded vouchers worth $7,295 each to families who can gain admission into a private school—regardless of their income.
Despite claims of “universal access,” the truth is the majority of vouchers will go to families already enrolled in private schools, families who are more likely to be wealthy. There are simple reasons for it:
Reputable private schools charge more for tuition than the voucher is worth;
Most private schools have limited spots available; and
Most have restrictive admission policies, meaning private schools are free to reject a family’s application for any reason, including a student’s disability.
Experts who have studied voucher scams say that means the majority of publicly funded vouchers will flow to existing private school families.
Additionally, schemes like this have failed in other states and here. In fact, Gov. Lee’s controversial pilot voucher program, enacted in 2019, has produced dismal student outcomes every year it has existed.
Elsewhere, studies show students who leave public schools for voucher programs perform worse, and in every state with “universal” vouchers, the majority of recipients were already in private schools. The same will happen in Tennessee.
The end result: This is a massive, taxpayer-funded subsidy for private school families—while public schools, teachers, and students are left behind.
Even the legislature’s own fiscal analysts predict the program will cut into public school funding. By the 2026-27 school year, Tennessee’s K-12 funding formula (TISA) will lose $45 million due to student disenrollment.
With the governor poised to funnel millions of tax dollars to well-off families, here are two important final notes:
Perhaps families would not be looking for education alternatives if Tennessee’s public schools received better funding. Under Gov. Lee, Tennessee public schools are ranked 47th in the nation for per student funding; and
51% of public school students in Tennessee will receive less per-pupil state funding than voucher recipients ($7,295).
Private school vouchers are a scam.
Dishonorable Mentions
Republicans endorse 32% sales tax rate that would crush working families
Tennesseans pay around 9.5% in state and local sales taxes every time they make a purchase. This year, Republican Party lawmakers sponsored legislation urging the U.S. Congress to more than triple the sales tax rate we pay.
The Republican-backed House Joint Resolution 17 urges Congress to adopt the so-called “Fair Tax Act,” a federal proposal that would slap a national sales tax of 23% on all purchases—including essentials like groceries and medicine.
Combined with Tennessee’s already punishing 9.5% sales tax, this plan would push the total sales tax rate on working families over 32%.
While billionaires and corporations would get a windfall from eliminating income taxes, regular Tennesseans would be left paying more every time they check out at the register.
The resolution was signed into law April 24.
Law mandates schools teach Republican-approved ‘success sequence’ promoting marriage and having children
Senate Bill 471 — Republicans passed a law requiring Tennessee public schools to promote a state-defined formula for personal success—one that includes marriage and having children—as part of the K-12 family life curriculum.
Under the so-called “Success Sequence Act,” schools must now provide instruction on the “positive personal and societal outcomes” of completing high school, joining the workforce or attending college, getting married, and then having children—in that exact order.
This law marks another attempt by Republican lawmakers to inject moral and ideological values into public education under the guise of life skills.
It follows last year’s mandate that students watch a medically inaccurate anti-abortion video in class—and it comes in a state where Republicans have passed laws that force young people, including minors, to carry pregnancies to term with no exceptions for rape or incest. So much for small government.
The law will take effect July 1, 2026.
Law punishes companies for signing community benefit agreements
Senate Bill 1074 — Republicans passed a law that undercuts Community Benefit Agreements—legally binding contracts that have helped Nashville residents secure better wages, affordable housing, and local investment from major development projects like the soccer and NFL stadiums.
The law bans companies from receiving public subsidies if they voluntarily enter into a community benefits agreement, effectively punishing businesses that choose to be accountable to the communities where they operate.
It’s a clear signal: Republicans not only oppose workers’ rights in the workplace—they also oppose a community’s right to demand something in return for taxpayer support.
The law takes effect July 1.
Law lets charter operators bypass school boards—diverting local tax dollars to state-approved, privately-run schools
Senate Bill 1310 — Republicans passed a law that allows certain charter school operators to skip locally elected school boards and apply directly to the unelected state charter commission—whose members are handpicked by the governor.
This bill weakens local control and forces local taxpayers to fund privately run charter schools that local communities may have already rejected. If a school board has been overruled by the state three times in three years, the law lets all charter sponsors bypass the local process for five years.
The bill also streamlines the approval process for charter school chains to replicate across the state and expands enrollment preferences.
The result: more public school funds flowing to privately operated schools with less local accountability and fewer guardrails.
The law takes effect July 1.
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Brandon J. Puttbrese
Senate Democratic press secretary