Names of companies who took taxpayer-funded handout goes public May 31
NASHVILLE—Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, issued a statement today encouraging taxpayers to look up who profited from Gov. Bill Lee’s billion-dollar corporate tax refund scheme. The program was included in a 2024 law that authorized the state to handout up to $1.5 billion in franchise tax “refunds” to property-rich corporations. A record-breaking annual tax cut for property-rich corporations was also included in the legislation.
Starting May 31, for just 30 days, the Department of Revenue will post the names of businesses that received taxpayer-funded checks. This moment offers a rare glimpse into how Tennessee’s political leadership has prioritized wealthy corporations over working families.
Sen. Heidi Campbell’s full statement:
“Today, we finally see the names of the corporations that cashed in on Tennessee’s largest tax giveaway — a billion-dollar refund scheme Gov. Lee and Republican lawmakers pushed through without a single court ruling. No lawsuit. No legal judgment. Just a letter from corporate attorneys and a political class eager to please.
“Now, we’re staring down the largest budget deficit of the year — a direct result of these reckless tax breaks. Corporate tax collections have cratered, and Tennessee families are still paying sky-high grocery taxes, while our schools, roads and healthcare remain among the worst funded in the nation.
“This is the real cost of trickle-down economics: corporate handouts while working families get left behind. It’s fiscally irresponsible and morally indefensible.
“Tennesseans deserve leaders who fight for them — not for out-of-state CEOs.”
