Ask your State Senator to vote NO on SJR 34

The constitutional amendment that would allow the state of Tennessee to now invest in and own private banks and private corporations is heading to the Senate floor. It needs a 2/3s majority to pass and once it passes both the Senate and the House, this proposed amendment will be on the ballot in November 2026.

The argument being made by some Republicans, of course, is the need to generate a higher return investment on our tax dollars. I would remind these corporate hacks that it is not the government's job, duty, or responsibility to get an ROI on our taxes. But it is their duty to preserve the integrity of our constitution and protect our liberty secured therein.

Passing this amendment would merge the financial interests of corporations with that of the state. They are selling off your liberty to the highest bidder. But that's nothing new. They did the same thing 3 years ago when they sold off your liberties in exchange for federal money in dealing with a manufactured crisis.

Another argument being made is that the current Treasurer and Comptroller of the state are doing such a great job and Tennessee's monetary policy is fiscally sound. Nothing bad is going to happen. The foresight lacking in this argument is incredible.

Amending our constitution this way is a permanent expansion of the powers of state government. Who is to say that in 10, 20, or 50 years from now, we have a great Treasurer or Comptroller and that we have a sound fiscal policy?

This proposal is incredibly shortsighted; it introduces a great amount of risk for future Tennesseans; it greatly expands the power of (2) appointed and unelected men controlling our financial future; it completely removes the boundary between state interest and corporate interest; and more that I am sure is only yet to be discovered.