Expanding state oversight over federal grants and local laws, preparing for an end of the U.S. Department of Education and expanding opportunities for child care providers are top priorities for Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton as lawmakers return to the state Capitol.
The 2025 legislative session will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 12 p.m. CT. Before he gavels in the legislative session next week, Sexton. R-Crossville, sat down with The Tennessean to discuss his plans for this year.
Among his top priorities is lowering the barriers for entrepreneurs to start and expand child care businesses in Tennessee.
“When we talk to business owners about it, the risk and liability for businesses to do it is a concern,” he said. “When you look at starting one, there’s a lot of hoops to go through.”
Many areas in Tennessee are child care deserts – places where there are not enough child care options for the number of children in that area. Sexton plans to work with the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry to review state regulations and make changes to ensure providers don’t face burdensome or antiquated requirements
“I hear all the time from people saying, ‘I just can’t – it’s hard to get into business. It’s extremely difficult to expand in the business, or it’s not worth the amount of cost and regulations and liability for me to get into it,” he said.
Sexton will also sponsor legislation to require state agencies to seek approval from the legislature before applying for federal grants.
“I think what happens sometimes is you have departments chasing federal dollars, just trying to find more money, more money, and sometimes it gets us into problems,” Sexton said.
Related:Why Tennessee is rejecting millions that help families pay for summer groceries
Sexton wants the House Financial Subcommittee to have approval authority over state grant proposals, so lawmakers have the opportunity to question agencies on rules around federal grant funds, the state employees needed to administer the funds, and potential burdens federal funding may put on the state in the future.
“I think that also holds the bureaucracy in check, and that’s the role of the General Assembly, in my opinion,” he said.
Sexton will also back legislation that would seek to withhold state funds from local governments that violate the state Constitution, state law, or ballot referendums. Local governments would be given time to correct the issue before state funds are withheld.
“If there’s things that they’re violating in state law or the Constitution, then they need to be fixed,” he said, pointing to similar legislation passed in Arizona.
A 2018 Arizona law allows lawmakers to report suspect local laws to the state attorney general’s office. If the attorney general finds the local law violates state statute or the state Constitution, the city has 30 days to change their law before the state treasurer withholds funds. Cities may appeal to the state’s supreme court.
“The amazing thing is, the locals always fix it within the time period allotted,” Sexton said.
President-elect Donald Trump has said he plans to end the U.S. Department of Education, although that would require an act of Congress. In recent years, state Republican lawmakers have studied the feasibility of rejecting federal money for public education to eliminate what they see as “strings attached” to the funds.
With major changes a real possibility in a second Trump administration, Sexton is supportive.
“I’m hopeful that he will do it,” Sexton said. “I think if you block grant that money and send it back to the states, I think you would see better returns. It won’t be caught up in this big old bureaucracy.”
But with the end of the department, Sexton wants to see certain regulations and mandates abolished as well. Critics worry about the move, including over the loss of federal protections for students with disabilities.
“I would ask for more of a block grant type where we can use it to the best of our ability to improve education,” he said.
Sexton has been an advocate of state-funded school choice vouchers since Gov. Bill Lee announced his statewide proposal in 2023. The issue remains a high priority.
“Every child should have the same opportunity… just not those who are wealthy enough,” Sexton said. “If we’re going to get out of poverty in our state, it starts with education – and the parents should be in charge of that decision.”
Proposals have been filed from both sides of the aisle to abolish Tennessee’s 4% sales tax on groceries. Tennessee is one of 13 states that still taxes food and groceries. One bill is co-sponsored by House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland – the second highest-ranking Republican in the House.
Sexton supports a grocery tax break for staples like fresh produce, eggs, butter, and milk – but not on every type of product.
“Do people think that you should get the same tax break for buying a Coke than you should if you’re buying a gallon of milk?” he said. “I want to do the staples that everybody usually buys, and the other stuff is accessories, for lack of a better term.”
The last time the state food sales tax rate was cut was during the Haslam administration, when the grocery tax was reduced from 5% to 4% in the IMPROVE Act, which put in place a higher gas and diesel tax.
Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her atvjones@tennessean.com.
