Republicans and Democrats in the Tennessee General Assembly can agree on this: the rising prices of food at the grocery store pose a hardship for far too many residents.
A Jan. 8 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirms what shoppers feel: Prices for food have soared over the last several years.
While the rate of inflation slowed from November 2023 to November 2024 − only a 2.4% increase − that does not undo the financial pain families feel in trying to feed their families.
Inflation was a big reason why a majority of voters selected Donald Trump for president on Nov. 5. That’s why when Tennessee lawmakers start their 2025 legislation session on Tuesday, they should make eliminating the grocery food sales tax a priority for the year.
Two pieces of legislation call for axing the retail food sales tax
Two bills have been proposed so far to end the sales tax on groceries. The state’s sales tax on retail food and food ingredients is 4% and with a local option levy, that amount can rise to a 6.75% for staples such as bread, milk and eggs.
Republican state Rep. Elaine Davis of Knoxville has proposed House Bill 21 to end the tax on grocery store food. As of Thursday, Jan. 9, there was no Senate sponsor.
Democrats have also proposed their own bill: House Bill 2/Senate Bill 2, proposed by state Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, and Sen. Charlane Oliver, D-Nashville.
The difference in the two approaches is that the Democratic bill would close corporate tax loopholes to make up for the loss in revenue to counties and cities from the grocery sales tax.
Behn and Oliver previously introduced their bill in the last session, but the supermajority in the GOP did not pass it.
Letters: Tennessee lawmakers should pass Aftyn Behn and Charlane Oliver’s bill to end grocery tax
While the Davis bill might have a better shot given that it is co-sponsored by House Majority Leader William Lamberth, Behn and Oliver deserve credit for raising the alarm and making this an issue.
Speaker Cameron Sexton told The Tennessean he’s open to cutting taxes on the basics.
“Do people think that you should get the same tax break for buying a Coke than you should if you’re buying a gallon of milk?” he said. “I want to do the staples that everybody usually buys, and the other stuff is accessories, for lack of a better term.”
That’s an important start.
Bread, milk and eggs prices have soared over the last five years
Average prices for staples have risen over the last four years for basics, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Consider price increases from January 2019 to November 2024:
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A gallon of milk: $2.91 to $4.14: +42%
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A dozen eggs: $1.55 to $3.65: +135%
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A pound of bread: $1.27 to $1.92: +51%
For a family of four or larger, that adds up quickly over time. Then, add on top of that other bills including utilities, gas and rent costs, which have also skyrocketed over the years. Lawmakers can help ease Tennesseans’ pain.
There will be many issues that take up a lot of oxygen and social media posts including expansion of the Education Savings Act (also known as school choice or school vouchers) and further curbing access to abortion medication.
However, voters clearly sent a message in 2024 that their top concern is the economy, cost of living and rising prices. This must be the No. 1 concern of Congress and state legislatures across the country.
The Tennessee General Assembly should pass this legislation and then Gov. Bill Lee should sign it into law. Make the grocery shopping experience great again.
David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters.. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at [email protected] or find him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee’s grocery sales tax must end | Opinion
