Grocery prices are high enough to drive everyone crazy. And once again, there’s a push to eliminate Tennessee’s grocery tax.
“You buy what you can and when you can,” said Mia Eldridge, a Tennessee State University senior who’s always looking for ways to save money. “As a college student, it can be hard to get benefits sometimes,” she added.
Eldridge isn’t alone. Americans across the country are feeling the pinch of high grocery costs, which became a major factor in the 2024 presidential election.
“We saw both Republican candidates and Democratic candidates running on eliminating the grocery tax. There’s much more of a statewide appetite to eliminate it,” said Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville.
During the last legislative session, Behn and Sen. Charlane Oliver introduced a bill to end the grocery tax in Tennessee. While it didn’t pass, Behn has refiled the bill and hopes to get it across the finish line in 2025.
“It’s tough for me. As legislators, we make very little to be here, and I’m pinching pennies to pay for food as well,” Behn said.