HB1085 extends the allocation of state sales tax revenue to Memphis, specifically for the Memphis Grizzlies and events at the FedExForum, until June 30, 2059. During this period, revenue from admissions, sales of food and drink, and other authorized products at the FedExForum will be exclusively directed to Memphis and its sports authority.
The Tennessee State House of Representatives passed HB1085 on April 21, 2023 by a vote of 78 to 11. We have assigned pluses to the nays because privately-owned billion-dollar organizations, such as the Memphis Grizzlies, should be expected to pay for their own facilities, which they can more than afford. Forcing people to furnish proliferate amounts of taxpayer money when attending games or concerts to fund crony, corporate-sponsored projects violates their individual liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.