Ron Travis Running For Reelection: A Look At His Voting Record

Image Credit: State Representative Ron Travis / Facebook & Antony-22 / CC

The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –

Rep. Ron Travis (R-Dayton-District 31) has been in office since 2012 and is facing a GOP challenger as he runs for reelection in 2024.

While Rep. Travis has previously voted in a conservative manner on DEI in schools, recognizing natural immunity, protecting children from obscenity, and restricting foreign ownership of Tennessee land, he also seems to have a tendency of “going along to get along” when it comes to the majority of GOP bills that make it to the House floor, voting in favor of them whether they are conservative pieces of legislation or not.  

Back in 2021, the Freedom Index Legislative Scorecard, which scores lawmakers based on the constitutional nature and implications of their votes, gave Travis a score of 60%.

Let’s take a look at some of the stances Travis took in 2022.

Voting in favor of Illegal Immigration.

HB2309, sponsored by Rep. Bob Freeman (D-Nashville-District 56), was a bipartisan piece of legislation that opened the door for non-U.S. citizens to receive professional and commercial licenses in Tennessee, making the state a more attractive destination for illegal immigrants. 

Travis voted in favor of this legislation and Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) signed it into law on April 26^th, 2022. 

Voting for Corporate Welfare.

HB2882, sponsored by Rep. William Lamberth (R-Portland-District 44), approved the allocation of $500 million to Nashville/Davidson County for the infamous new Titans stadium.

Travis voted in favor of the legislation and it was signed into law by Gov. Lee on June 1st, 2022.

Refusing to vote on legislation to lower Tennessee’s concealed carry age.

HB1735, sponsored by Rep. Chris Todd (R-Madison County-District 73), would have lowered Tennessee’s concealed carry age from 21 to 18 years of age. 

Travis was counted as “present not voting” when the House of Representatives passed the legislation. However, HB1735 ultimately did not progress in the Senate.

Travis appeared in The Tennessee Conservative’s 2023 RINO Report for sponsoring legislation that works against parental rights and due process.

HB1109, sponsored by Travis, seems to relieve DCS of having to properly notify parents of removal orders while at the same time making it a criminal offense for families to hide children outside of the state when that child is in DCS custody.

Since DCS is not required to verify the credibility of anonymous sources who make allegations of child abuse or neglect, this legislation could be making it easier to bypass due process, criminalize parents, and take their children away.

HB1109 passed in the legislature and the bill was signed into law by Gov. Lee on April 28th, 2023.

Other votes from Travis in 2023 include:

Voting in favor of global currency in Tennessee.

HB0316 or “The Money Transmission Modernization Act,” sponsored by Rep. William Lamberth, redefined what state law recognizes as “money,” paving the way for foreign governmental entities to exchange a currency (i.e. CBDC) that is not currently recognized by banks owned and operated in Tennessee.

Travis voted in favor of this legislation and it was signed into law by Gov. Lee on April 4th, 2023, with an effective date of January 1st, 2024.

The Tennessee Legislative Report Card for the 2023 legislative session gave Travis a voting score of 73 and a D grade for leadership. 

Voting in favor of weakening abortion law helped earn him this score.

HB0883, sponsored by Rep. Esther Helton-Haynes (R-East Ridge-District 30), allowed a subjective standard for physicians to adhere to, potentially allowing for health professionals to willfully permit an abortion for a patient in bad faith.

Travis voted in favor of this legislation and Gov. Lee signed it into law on April 28th, 2023.

Travis also voted against allowing candidates excluded from a party’s ballot at the last minute to run as independents.

HB0636, sponsored by Rep. Jody Barrett (R-Dickson-District 69), would have allowed a person excluded as a candidate from a primary ballot “based on a determination that the person is not a bona fide member of the political party” to still qualify as an independent candidate if a nominating petition is filed within seven days of the official exclusion.

Travis voted against HB0636 and while the bill still passed in the House of Representatives, it did not progress in the Senate.

The Tennessee Legislative Report Card also analyzed information from the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance, showing that 72.11% of Travis’ campaign contributions came from special interests.

Additionally, the Freedom Index Legislative Scorecard gave Travis a 60% for the 2023 legislative session.

Voting in favor of corporate welfare helped earn him this score.

HB1085, sponsored by Rep. John Gillespie (R-Memphis-District 97), extended the retention of state sales tax revenue by the Memphis Grizzlies and the FedExForum until June 30th, 2059.

During this period of time, sales tax revenue from any admissions, concessions, or other authorized products at the FedExForum will be exclusively directed to Memphis and its sports authority. 

Travis voted in favor of the legislation and Gov. Lee signed it into law on May 11th, 2023.

Some of Travis’ votes from the 2024 legislative session include:

Voting in favor of “opportunity schools.”

HB2922, sponsored by Speaker of the House Rep. Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville-District 25), was a sneaky caption bill that created boarding schools for “at risk” youth.

This could result in children as young as 11-years-old being ordered to enroll, separated from their families and communities and sent across the state.

Travis voted in favor of this legislation and Gov. Lee signed it into law on May 28th, 2024.

Voting to expedite termination of parental rights.

HB1808, sponsored by Rep. Ed Butler (R-Rickman-District 41), requires the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) to expediate the termination of parental rights for “substantial non-compliance” a subjective term with no clear statutory definition.

The legislation allows a judge to determine if a parent is not in compliance with the responsibilities outlined in their permanency plan. 

Travis voted in favor of this legislation and it was signed into law by Gov. Lee on April 4th, 2024.

Voting against government transparency.

HB1692, sponsored by Rep. William Lamberth, allows Department of Tourism records involving millions in taxpayer dollars to be hidden from the public if the tourism commissioner and attorney general agree public access to the information should be blocked.

Travis voted in favor of this legislation and Gov. Lee signed it into law on May 3rd, 2024.

Voting in favor of what some critics called a “red flag gun law.”

HB1625, sponsored by Rep. Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville-District 14), expands mandatory reporting laws for mental health professionals.

Critics have voiced concerns about privacy laws, where reported information will be stored and how it will be used, and about providing mental health professionals with civil, criminal and regulatory immunity given the subjective way in which a mental health professional could perceive something to be a threat.

Travis voted in favor of this legislation and it was signed into law by Gov. Lee on April 23rd, 2024.

Rep. Travis faces GOP challenger Richard W. Smith in the upcoming Republican primary election. 

EARLY VOTING:  JULY 12-27 2024   ELECTION DAY:  AUGUST 1, 2024

About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.