Tennessee Legislators Rally Against Grocery Price Gouging

Sen. Oliver, Rep. Behn call for bipartisan action to lower prices

A pair of Nashville legislators is calling on Tennessee's Attorney General to join a national, bipartisan task force to address price gouging in the grocery industry.

Sen. Charlane Oliver and Rep. Aftyn Behn, who sponsored legislation that would have ended Tennessee's grocery tax, sent a letter to Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti asking him to take action.

The letter specifically calls on Skrmetti to join a bipartisan coalition of state Attorneys General working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate grocery prices.

“High prices at the grocery store have weighed heavily on Tennessee families, and they deserve to know that their state government is taking every possible step to ensure fairness in the marketplace,” said Sen. Charlane Oliver. “Joining this task force would demonstrate our commitment to protecting consumers and promoting economic fairness for all Tennesseans.”

Behn noted that tax breaks for billionaires were supported by the state's GOP legislative majority, while grocery tax relief was left on the shelf.

“Instead of providing tax relief to working families, the Republican Party chose to give billions in tax breaks to property-rich corporations,” said Rep. Behn. “We are undeterred in our mission to find new ways to reduce costs for families, promote fair competition, and grow Tennessee small businesses.”

Behn and Oliver pointed to a recent report noting Tennessee has the second-highest rate of inflation in the country.

The lawmakers say this report demonstrates the urgency of addressing high prices and corporate greed.

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