The Tennessee State Legislature has introduced a bill that will dramatically raise property taxes on solar energy for businesses. Our state's House Subcommittee on Agriculture and Natural Resources will discuss this bill tomorrow, March 6th at 1:30 p.m. CT. Please make calls today and tomorrow to ask committee members to vote no on the bill. The Senate Committee on State and Local Government has deferred action on this bill until March 12th so please continue to make calls this week to let them know solar energy is important to you!

Message: Vote NO to raising taxes on solar businesses producing made-in-America products that bring good jobs to our state and help our environment!

Bill Number: House Bill 62/ Senate Bill 1000
Bill Title: Taxes, Ad Valorem

The Solar Tax bill will hurt our state because...  

• Tennessee businesses of all types that have installed solar will see their property tax dramatically increased. Over 77 commercial, 31 agricultural, and 46 industrial businesses all across the state that have invested in solar power will be affected. The tax on solar will be raised from scrap value to 33.3% of the total installed cost. This will result in an over 6000% property tax increase for many businesses.
• Tennessee-made solar panels will be taxed higher than cheap imported solar panels, discouraging consumers from buying American-made products. The property tax is based on the initial installed cost. Buying Tennessee-made panels will result in a higher property tax rate than cheap, imported panels.
• This tax increase will actually cost Tennessee more money than it brings in due to lower business revenue and expensive individual audits. What is the point of a tax that does not bring in revenue?
• Solar means jobs for Tennessee. Tennessee contains all components of the solar supply chain - from manufacturing to installation to sales. There are 236 businesses in Tennessee's solar industry representing over 6,400 jobs throughout the state.
• This is a penalization for investing in solar. The bill focuses on solar, leaving the other energy equipment at its previously low-taxed rate. Bill proponents claim that the current tax rate for solar is unconstitutional, but they have made no move to increase the tax rate on dirty energy equipment that enjoys the same low tax-rate under the same unconstitutional law.
• This is a divestment in a new industry that has created good jobs in our state. How can we create jobs when we are fighting to keep them? Businesses cannot survive through boom and bust policies.
• Solar means cleaner air and water!
• Solar means energy independence!

SOCM's new Social Justice Committee met in Nashville at Hobson United Methodist Church on Saturday, March 2nd to begin its work of increasing our capacity to powerfully address the social and economic issues affecting our members across the state. Committee members discussed a variety of pressing social problems, and decided to focus serious research and energy on a) prisons and the criminal justice system, b) education, c) workers' rights, and d) healthcare. We will be surveying SOCM members in the coming weeks and months to get the broadest possible input on these and other issues.

The Social Justice Committee will coordinate SOCM's campaign to combat racial stereotypes in the local media, and is inviting SOCM members to a training on identifying stereotypes and bias in the media - at Middle Tennessee State University on Tuesday, March 26th, 6:00-9:00 p.m. (CST). The committee and a larger group of members across the state have begun documenting instances and patterns of racial stereotypes in local print and regional TV news outlets. All SOCM members are encouraged to contribute by sending notes, documentation, clippings, online links, and other relevant materials to Organizer Brad Wright at brad@socm.org, 2507 Mineral Springs Ave., Suite D, Knoxville, TN 37917.