The “YES ON 2” campaign officially launched this week, kicking off a statewide effort to pass a constitutional amendment that would permanently prohibit a state property tax in Tennessee.
The amendment, which will appear on the November 2026 general election ballot, seeks to revise Article II, Section 28 of the Tennessee Constitution to bar the state from ever imposing a property tax.
While the Volunteer State does not currently levy a state property tax, state law permits one. Passage of the constitutional amendment would permanently ban a state property tax.
As we launch our campaign to ban a state property tax in the Tennessee Constitution, we are excited to announce @GovBillLee as our statewide chairman. Watch his message on why he will be voting "Yes on 2" this November and why you should, too. pic.twitter.com/Cui4hGz7jE
— TNYeson2 (@TnYeson2) February 10, 2026
The proposal cleared two successive general assemblies, as required for constitutional amendments.
House Joint Resolution 81 passed with a majority vote in the 113th General Assembly, and Senate Joint Resolution 1 received two-thirds approval in both chambers of the 114th General Assembly, paving the way for Tennessee voters to have the final say.
A coalition of business and agriculture groups is backing the “YES ON 2” effort, including the Tennessee Farm Bureau, Tennessee Realtors, and the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce.
The effort is also being backed by Americans for Prosperity, the Beacon Center of Tennessee, and the National Federation of Independent Business’ Tennessee chapter.
Governor Bill Lee will serve as statewide chairman of the campaign, while House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) will serve as the East Tennessee chair, State Representative Tandy Darby (R-Greenfield) will serve as the West Tennessee chair, and Speaker Pro Tempore Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin) will serve as the Middle Tennessee chair.
The campaign emphasizes that Tennessee has balanced its budget for more than 75 years without a state property tax and currently maintains one of the lowest overall tax burdens in the nation.
Furthermore, a recent poll commissioned by the campaign found 64 percent of voters support the proposed ban.
The proposal to ban a state property tax is one of three constitutional amendments set to appear on the November 2026 ballot.
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “People Voting” by Ben Schumin. CC BY-SA 2.0.
