Image Credit: reevesfortn.com & Antony-22 / CC
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
Senator Shane Reeves (R-District 14) assumed office in March of 2018 and ran unopposed in the August 1st primary election this year, winning 7,091 votes in his favor.
Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of Sen. Reeves’ voting record from the last several years.
Back in 2020, Reeves co-sponsored tort reform that small business association NFIB supported.
The “Tennessee Recovery and Safe Harbor Act” aimed to provide protection from pandemic-related lawsuits for businesses that “substantially complied with public health guidance.”
The bill ultimately died after a conference committee report failed to receive a constitutional majority in the House.
In 2021, Reeves was one of sixteen Republican senators who signed Sen. Ferrell Haile’s letter endorsing and pushing the “safe and effective” emergency use authorized Covid-19 vaccine on Tennesseans.
That same year, Reeves stated in an email to a constituent that a special legislative session on mask mandates in schools, President Biden’s executive orders and Governor Lee’s executive order privileges was not needed.
The Freedom Index Legislative Scorecard, which scores lawmakers based on the constitutional nature and implications of their votes, gave Reeves an 80% score for 2021.
In 2022, Reeves was the prime sponsor of 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 (SB2464).
He also voted in favor of censoring conservatives and silencing Tennessee grassroots through the “Incumbent Protection Bill,” a campaign finance bill that increased regulatory requirements and paperwork for grassroots organizations and nonprofits trying to inform Tennesseans about lawmakers’ voting habits and behaviors.
This legislation laid the groundwork for silencing many that do not have the manpower to deal with increased red tape.
Suffice to say, Reeves’ voting record that year secured him a spot in The Tennessee Conservative’s 2022 RINO Report as one of the Top 5 RINOs in the Tennessee Senate.
Some of the other votes that helped earn him this distinction include:
Voting in favor of corporate welfare.
SB2890 allowed the Chattanooga Lookouts, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago Reds, to move to a new stadium in the city and retain a sales tax deal to fund it, letting the team keep the first 5.5% of the state’s 7% sales tax on sales made at the stadium during events.
Voting against Medical Freedom.
SJR0993, sponsored by Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma-District 16), was a resolution declaring an individual’s right to refuse medical treatment. It also required that an individual’s other rights not be denied due to refusal of medical treatment.
Reeves was one of five Republicans who killed the resolution in committee.
Voting in favor of Expanded Medical Authority.
SB2026, sponsored by Sen. Bill Powers (R-Clarksville-District 22), was amended to allow dentists in Tennessee to administer COVID-19 and HPV vaccines.
Reeves voted in favor of the bill as amended before it died in the House of Representatives.
In 2023, Reeves voted in favor of linking the state with private interests by supporting legislation that would have given Tennessee’s Treasurer and Comptroller the power to use taxpayer dollars to purchase and own portions of banks and private companies (SJR0034).
This resolution was not passed by the legislature.
Reeves also supported global currency in Tennessee by voting in favor of “The Money Transmission Modernization Act,” which 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.
Additionally, he voted to eliminate maximum class sizes in Tennessee’s public schools (SB0197); voted in favor of toll roads via public-private partnerships (SB0273); he voted against parental rights and due process; and voted in favor of allowing physicians to permit abortions for their patients.
The Freedom Index Legislative Scorecard gave Reeves a score of 67% in 2023.
Reeves’ voting record once again earned him a spot in The Tennessee Conservative’s 2024 RINO Report as one of the Top 5 RINOs in the Tennessee Senate.
Being the prime sponsor of legislation that prevents the autopsies of minors who are victims of violent crimes from becoming part of public record, allowing violent offenders to possibly be protected and making it easier for crimes to be covered up, is one of the actions that helped earn him this distinction.
He also backed Sen. Ferrell Haile’s idea that the solution to illegal immigration in Tennessee is to collect more data, by voting in favor of SB2158 which “requires the review of executive branch agency policies and spending as it relates to illegal immigration” and “requires a report to be compiled and delivered to the governor and the speakers of the senate and house of representatives regarding such review.”
Even knowing it was an election year, Reeves voted to undo the Mature Minor Clarification Act in Senate committee (SB2176); voted in favor of global currency in Tennessee once again (SB2219); and voted against government transparency by allowing 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 (SB2093).
He was also one of the eight Republican Senators who “took a walk to skip the vote” on SB1722 which would have banned Pride flags and other ideological or political flags from Tennessee’s public school classrooms.
The Tennessee Legislative Report Card gave Reeves a vote score of 87 for the 2024 legislative session, a lifetime vote score of 82, and a D grade in leadership.
The report card, which can be viewed in full HERE, also analyzes information from the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance, which shows that 50.03% of Reeves’ campaign contributions stem from special interests.
Reeves has also been endorsed and awarded the “2024 Defender of Freedom Award” by The Tennessee Faith & Freedom Coalition (TN-FFC), which some have called a “fake conservative group.”
In the upcoming general election scheduled to take place on November 5th of this year, Reeves faces no GOP challengers and only one Democrat challenger in the form of Elizabeth R. Smith.
The Tennessee Conservative’s Founder, Brandon Lewis, is asking in his 2024 Tennessee Voting Guide that District 14 voters send a message of no confidence to GOP Establishment RINOs by writing in “A Real Conservative” instead of casting a vote for Shane Reeves.
5 Responses
Yeah
Shane is a primary rino follower of mcnally and lee who would like nothing better than to see Tennessee Kalifornicated
Odd to say in the article that he faces no Republican and only one Democrat in November … both if those are a given for Every Republican in November! That is the entire point of the primaries! NO Republican faces another Republican in November and All Republicans face, at most, 1 Democrat opponent as the Democrats also had their primary.
Also, dies it matter at all what is written in the write in spaces? I believe in TN there is no tracking of what is written in for a write in vote unless a candidate has gone through the process to be a write in candidate. Otherwise, the tally for total write ins is tracked but not what is written in.
Hopefully, this will be verified so better advice is given.
Each district is different and evidently his district’s Republican voters are happy with his voting record or he would have had a primary opponent.
What are the demographics of his current district? More moderate and more democrats? Then his voting record may be an accurate reflection of his constituents
One way to elect Republicans who are more conservative is to close the primaries so that one must register as a member of a party in order to vote in that party’s primary. If closing the primaries is made a priority by the conservative voting grassroots we can get that through the legislature!
Some of the long time holdouts for passing closed primaries through the legislature won’t be returning in 1/25
Look at past voting records in committee for this issue and let’s make a plan!
(Of course, we won’t know new committee assignments for months but we can already know who is for/against for all returning incumbents, who has carried a similar bill in the past and who would be likely to do so for this next session, etc)
Senator Reeves is a great example of Republican primary voters choosing a moderate who is a man of good character.
Good character, availability to voters, transparency and corruption free are, unfortunately, not a given even among conservative candidates. Some of our most conservative voting candidates and elected politicians have the most issues when it comes to character, transparency and reports of corruption and supporting corruption.
Playing to the base to gain or remain in power is too common for politicians merely seeking power, influence and the money that comes with these things
Sen Reeves is a moderate but never claims to he otherwise – he votes on the issues how he campaigns that he will vote. There has been no whisper of scandal, corruption, affairs, misbehavior, mismanagement or “mistakes” of campaign funds or collusion with PACs, or any other problems.
Many of us would trade some of the corrupt politicians who vote more conservatively with Republican moderates of character.
Character matters and he is a solid Republican whom we can trust and respect even while disagreeing with some votes.
GC, count me out of your loosey-goosey criterion for choosing candidates. I don’t personally know and will never know the vast majority of the individuals I elect to office. Trying to determine their “character” is therefore a hopeless task. I never have found it necessary to have them available and their voting records are there for all to see so that takes care of “transparency”. As for corruption, that is a law enforcement issue, otherwise no candidate runs admitting to a yen for corruption.
I am a man of simple tastes. I want my legislators to say “YAY” and “NAY” at the right times and I want my chief executives to follow small government, maximization of individual liberties polices. That’s it. Shane Reeves might be a heck of a guy, but he votes liberal about one-fifth of the time. I predicted that would be the case when I asked everyone to vote for Joe Carr when he opposed Reeves in that 2018 primary for Joe was obviously the more conservative candidate. If you want conservative government I like my way of choosing candidates better than yours GC.
I want to thank you, Mr Anderson, for the comments you stated above. The points you made were spot on! I just wish Mr Reeves would have a decent opponent, if he chooses to run again. I would support him/her…..…just like I did last time. NO…..he does not try to represent his constituents!
I find it Shameful, yes Shameful…that our local residents don’t realize what a privilege it is to be able to choose those representing us when making decisions on a state level. It is an absolute a privilege to be able to do that. There was a time when Schools played an important role in teaching children about respecting our flag, love for country and patriotism. This is yet another example as to how our schools have failed…. Is history even taught anymore?