West Tennessee Republican State Lawmakers Discuss 2026 Legislative Priorities

Image Credit: @SenBrentTaylor / X

The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –

Image Credit: Canva

In a recent forum sponsored by Americans for Prosperity (AFP), two state senators and four representatives from West Tennessee gathered to cover upcoming bills, regulations, and priorities for the upcoming legislative session with interested constituents.

The Dec. 12 event was attended by Senators John Stevens (Huntingdon-District 24) and Brent Taylor (Memphis-District 31) and Representatives Chris Todd (Madison County-District 73), Brock Martin (Huntingdon-District 79), Rusty Grills (Newbern-District 77), and Ron Gant (Piperton-District 94).

Senator Taylor highlighted the forum on social media and emphasized his remarks about his continued quest to “Make Memphis Matter”, which he ultimately believes will have positive impacts far beyond his district.

“I spoke at the Americans for Prosperity West TN Legislative Preview breakfast in Jackson about how our Make Memphis Movement benefits all of West TN. Cleaning up Memphis crime so Memphis can thrive will not only benefit Shelby County, but it will bring industry, jobs, and opportunity everywhere west of the Tennessee River,” he wrote.

Rep. Todd stated his biggest goal is to end property tax.

“The biggest task that I have before me is eliminating the property tax altogether and converting that to a sales tax and maybe one other tax that’s more of a consumption-based tax,” he said. “I think eliminating the property tax altogether will take care of a lot of folks and make things much more sustainable for our state.” 

He clarified that his aim is for a city or county to still receive the same amount of revenue as they do currently, but through a sales/consumption tax in lieu of property taxes, which he believes will help many citizens.

Rep. Martin, whose district encompasses parts of Carroll, Gibson, and Henderson Counties, has his eye on healthcare accessibility in rural areas, particularly telemedicine. 

“One of the things I am working on in Nashville is to make sure rural health care is priority, so increase access, affordability, and quality is the main component of that,” said Martin. “One of the things we are looking at doing is increasing telemedicine abilities. It gets high quality care closer to the person which is what can help curve the cost and reduce a lot of those barriers.”

All the participants emphasized the need for a Regulatory Freedom Act, perhaps similar to the one passed in South Carolina earlier this year, which they say would allow more oversight and monitoring over expensive and burdensome government regulations. 

While the AFP organization itself draws mixed feedback, overall, constituents seemed to appreciate the opportunity to hear directly from their representatives about their plans for 2026. 

Numerous other forums are scheduled around the state in the last few weeks before session begins, so citizens have multiple opportunities to engage with their representatives and get involved with Tennessee governance.

About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.