The Numbers Don't Lie: Tennessee's Fiscal Strength and What It Means for District 38

Every family in District 38 knows how to balance a budget. You live within your means. You save for a rainy day. You do not spend money you do not have. These are the same principles that Tennessee Republicans have applied to state government for more than a decade, and the results speak for themselves.

This session, the 114th General Assembly passed a zero-debt $58.3 billion balanced budget. Not a single dollar of new debt. Every expenditure funded by current revenues. That is not just responsible. In today's environment, where states like California and Illinois are drowning in debt, it is remarkable.

Tennessee has no income tax, the lowest state debt per capita in the nation, and a Triple-A bond rating from all three major rating agencies. Since 2011, Tennessee Republicans have cut taxes by more than $5.1 billion. Those are not dollars that went into a government account. Those are dollars that stayed in the pockets of Tennessee families.

What does that mean for the people of District 38 specifically? It means every dollar you earn is yours to keep, because Tennessee does not take a piece of your paycheck through an income tax. It means the roads, schools, and services you depend on are funded responsibly, without borrowing against your children's future. It means Tennessee is a place where businesses want to locate and grow, which creates jobs and economic opportunity in every corner of the state, including rural communities like ours.

This session's budget directed significant new resources toward the priorities our communities care most about: rural healthcare, public education, infrastructure, and public safety. We did all of that while keeping taxes low and the books balanced.

There is a saying in fiscal policy that you can judge a government's real priorities by looking at its budget. Tennessee's budget this year reflects the values of the people who sent us to Nashville: responsibility, restraint, and a commitment to leaving the next generation better off than we found things.

I am proud of what we built this session, and I will keep fighting to protect the fiscal principles that have made Tennessee the envy of the nation.