Tennessee has something every state across America is trying to replicate: a strong economy, a growing workforce and businesses that want to invest here.
From Starbucks to Smith & Wesson and everything in between, Tennessee’s business climate has never been stronger. Companies are choosing Tennessee because of our talented workforce, low taxes and the freedom to grow. That investment is creating opportunities for Tennesseans in communities across our state.
That success didn’t happen overnight, and it didn’t happen by accident. Tennessee has made deliberate choices over the years to create an environment where businesses can invest, expand and create jobs. One of the most important of those choices was keeping Tennessee a state without an income
tax.
How Marsha Blackburn fights for a low-tax Tennessee
During her time in the Tennessee Senate, Marsha Blackburn led a statewide grassroots effort against her own party to defeat a proposed state income tax, fighting to make sure Tennesseans could continue keeping more of what they earn. That fight helped preserve one of Tennessee’s greatest economic advantages and helped lay the foundation for the business growth we see today.
Our low-tax environment gives businesses another reason to choose Tennessee and enables our homegrown Tennessee businesses to thrive. It allows our entrepreneurs to keep more of what they earn and gives companies room to hire workers, expand and reinvest in their businesses. This creates a cycle of investment and opportunity that benefits all Tennesseans.
Tennessee has also demonstrated that fiscal responsibility and a strong economy can go hand in hand. This year, the state is entering the new fiscal year with roughly a $1.2 billion surplus, giving Tennessee a strong financial foundation as we continue to grow.
That success is something we should celebrate, but it is also something we have to protect. Our state is growing rapidly, and that growth brings new challenges. We need leadership that understands how to protect the policies that made Tennessee successful while addressing the challenges that come with being one of the most desirable states in America.
Making home building easier, less expensive
Marsha Blackburn believes that if you're not growing, you're shrinking, but she understands that growth brings challenges. One of the biggest is ensuring Tennesseans can afford to live in the communities where they work.
As more people move to Tennessee, we need to build enough housing to keep up with demand. When unnecessary regulations, restrictive zoning and burdensome permitting processes make that harder, the cost of construction rises and those costs ultimately fall on Tennessee families through higher home prices.
Marsha Blackburn plans to attack the problem at its source. Instead of creating another expensive government program, she will work to remove the barriers that make it harder and more expensive to build and will look for public-private partnership opportunities for workforce housing.
By making it easier for communities and the private sector to build more housing, Tennessee can keep growing without pricing the very people who make our state successful out of their own communities.
Marsha Blackburn is ready to lead Tennessee
As governor, Marsha’s economic vision will be to keep taxes low, tackle the affordability issue by cutting unnecessary spending and regulations, and work directly with businesses to close workforce gaps and ensure Tennesseans are prepared for the well-paying jobs being created across our state.
Marsha Blackburn has the experience and vision to keep Tennessee’s economy growing and create more opportunities for Tennesseans.
Sen. Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, is the Senate Majority Leader in the Tennessee General Assembly.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: A look at Marsha Blackburn's economic vision for Tennessee | Opinion
