The Caucus Corner - March 6

A Letter from the Chair

Dear Friends,

This week at the Capitol, your Democratic senators showed up for Tennessee families in a big way. From tackling the medical debt crisis to protecting Tennessee homeowners, we are fighting every single day to make life more affordable and fairer for working people across our state.

Affordability is at the heart of everything we are doing this session. Tennesseans are paying more than ever before for housing, healthcare and utilities, and our caucus is not standing by while families struggle. Whether it is my work to eliminate medical debt and crack down on price-gouging in rental housing, Senator Oliver's Homes Not Hedge Funds Act to stop large corporate investors from buying up family homes, or Senator Yarbro's fight to make sure Tennessee children do not go hungry this summer, we are bringing real solutions to the floor.

And we are not just fighting in the state capital. We are taking this work directly to the people. Our Tennessee Affordability Tour is heading to Chattanooga on Friday, March 13 and Knoxville on Saturday, March 14. We can’t wait to see you there. These stops are your opportunity to connect with your senators, access free on-site services, and make your voice heard. A Tennessee that works for all of us gets built community by community, and we are just getting started.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for staying engaged. Your support is what keeps us going.

With gratitude and purpose, 

Senator London Lamar

Chairwoman, Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus

Tennessee State Senate, District 33 • Memphis

Weekly Recap

Your rent may be higher than it should be, and Senator Lamar wants to put a stop to it

• Many Tennessee renters have no idea that landlords across the state have used pricing software that quietly coordinates rental rates among competing property owners. The end result is higher rental costs, with tenants never knowing why.

• That is why Senator Lamar introduced Senate Bill 1990, the Stop Rent Rigging Act. This bill would make it illegal for landlords in Tennessee to use price-fixing software, closing a gap in state law and building on enforcement efforts already underway by Tennessee's Attorney General.

Every four-year-old in Tennessee deserves a strong start, and Senator Oliver is working to make it happen

• High-quality preschool should be a right for every family – not just the wealthy. But with child care prices rivaling college tuition, thousands of Tennessee families are priced out.  This leaves working parents stretched thin and some children without the foundation they need before kindergarten begins.

• Senator Oliver introduced Senate Bill 2512, the Universal Pre-K Funding Act, which would give every four-year-old in the state access to a high-quality,preschool classroom in their local public school district. Research shows that universal pre-K increases parental earnings by more than 21% and generates more than $5 in benefits for every dollar invested.

A medical debt crisis is pushing Tennessee families to the financial edge. Senator Lamar has a plan

• For too many Tennessee families, a single hospital visit can mean years of debt, damaged credit, and impossible choices between bills and basic needs.

• No family should have their financial credit ruined because a loved one got sick or hurt in an accident.

• Senator Lamar introduced Senate Bill 1598, the Freedom from Medical Debt Act, which would establish an innovative public-private partnership to eliminate medical debt for thousands of low-income Tennesseans and ban medical debt from appearing on all credit reports.

Tennessee families are paying record-high electricity bills, and relief is not coming fast enough

• Tennesseans are paying more to keep the lights on than at any point in their lives. New federal data shows the average retail price of electricity in the state hit a record high in 2025, up 22.5% since 2020.

• A federally funded program that would have delivered $156 million in solar panel installations to low-income Tennessee families was terminated last fall, taking with it one of the most direct paths to lower energy costs for working people.

• Senate Democrats are sounding the alarm and fighting to make sure Tennessee families see real relief.

Member Spotlight

Senator London Lamar - Senator Lamar is thinking creatively about how Tennessee funds its roads. She introduced Senate Bill 2288, which would allow the state to collect tolls at border crossings where new lanes are added or HOV lanes are upgraded, but only at facilities that sit right on the state line. The idea is straightforward: visitors and out-of-state drivers who drive on our highways help pay for repairs, so Tennessee taxpayers do not have to foot the entire bill.

Senator Charlane Oliver - Senator Oliver stood up for Nashville communities by pushing back against  the state’s sweetheart deal with Elon Musk’s Boring Company. On Monday, she hosted a community meeting with Metro Councilmember Delishia Porterfield — The Truth About the Tesla Tunnel — to make sure residents had a space to ask questions and understand the tunnel's real impact on their neighborhoods. On Tuesday, the Nashville MetroCouncil passed a resolution opposing the tunnel project, which has bypassed all local approvals by going through the state. On Wednesday, Senator Oliver led a resolution in the Senate Transportation Committee to officially register opposition to the project, bringing community leaders to the table to testify against this handout for another well-connected corporation. 

Senator Jeff Yarbro - Keeping Tennessee kids fed this summer is a priority Senator Yarbro is fighting for on two fronts. He introduced Senate Bill 1853 to reinstate the Summer EBT program, which provides grocery benefits to school-age children during the months when they do not have access to school meals. This work builds on the caucus's efforts from last year, when Democratic senators signed a letter to Governor Lee urging the state to opt into the Summer EBT program for Tennessee families. Senator Yarbro and the entire caucus are doing everything they can to make sure no Tennessee child goes hungry when the school year ends.

Upcoming Events

The Tennessee Affordability Tour makes its next stops in Chattanooga on March 13 and Knoxville on March 14, bringing together government agencies and nonprofit partners who can connect you with real resources to help with the real costs of everyday life. After energizing stops in Nashville and Memphis, we are ready to meet more Tennessee families where they are. Refreshments will be provided. Click here to register or reserve a table. We hope to see you there!