Policy Priorities
Competitiveness
Core Principles
We believe our state succeeds when all Tennesseans are served well by sound state management that results in a high quality of life and economic prosperity for all.
We aspire to create a Tennessee which has the #1 business climate in the Southeast U.S.
and is among the top ten in the United States.
Tennessee Business Roundtable members believe strongly that one of the pillars of Tennessee’s economic success is a business climate with sensible tax and regulatory burdens and sound state fiscal policies.
The Roundtable supports policies and initiatives that enhance Tennessee’s ability to remain competitive and build our state's reputation as a place where all are welcome to contribute to our economy.
Right To Work
Since our state first enacted right-to-work protections over 70 years ago, they have become a critical and valued component of Tennessee’s business “brand.” Tennesseans depend on these laws to protect their voices, their rights to free association, and their rights to freely decide whether or not to join a union. The Roundtable supports placing these rights in our state Constitution with a view to ensuring them for succeeding generations of Tennessee’s workforce.
Strong, Independent Judiciary
In business - as in law and in government - the consistent application of rules and established processes creates a stable environment so decision-makers can act with confidence. Tennessee’s business climate is supported and strengthened when our state’s judiciary remains stable, objective and accountable. Protecting our judicial system against ideological and political coercion is pro-business.
Our Work
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Judicial Independence: A Critical Component of Tennessee’s Pro-Business Climate
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TN Supreme Court Thanks Roundtable for Support of Successful Business Court Docket Pilot Project
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Business Docket Pilot letter to Roundtable from Admin. Office of the Courts (Oct. 2016)
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Chief Justice Lee, Chancellor Lyle Launch New Court to Business & Legal Community
Regulatory Balance
Business investment in Tennessee is booming today because our elected officials, on a bipartisan basis, have recognized that limiting government regulation to what’s truly necessary to protect Tennesseans and ensure fair competition is one of the keys to the long-term success of our economy.
Tennessee's Reputation
To reach its full economic potential, Tennessee must be open and fair to all who seek to invest, work and live in the Volunteer State. Protecting and building our state’s reputation as one that welcomes the contributions of all who share our desire to live and work in freedom and harmony with others is not just a priority for our business community – it’s the Tennessee Way.