February 18th, 2026

Tennessee Senate
Cordell Hull Building
425 Rep. John Lewis Way N.
Nashville, TN 37243

In re: The Log Cabin Republicans of Tennessee Oppose HB 1472/ SB 1745, the "Banning Bostock Act"

Dear Committee Members,

The Log Cabin Republicans of Tennessee would like to formally announce opposition to House Bill 1472(and SB 1745), known as the "Banning Bostock Act." While we share our colleagues' commitment to state sovereignty, this legislation represents an unnecessary expansion of government overreach that threatens Tennessee’s business-friendly environment and violates core constitutional principles.

A Solution in Search of a Problem

Tennessee is—and should remain—an "at-will" employment state. Under current law, the relationship between an employer and an employee is voluntary; employers already possess the broad authority to manage their workforce and terminate employment for nearly any reason that does not violate established civil rights.

HB 1472 is a legislative overcorrection for a problem that does not exist in the Volunteer State. By creating a complex, state-specific carve-out for "sex discrimination," the General Assembly is adding layers of bureaucratic confusion for Tennessee small business owners. Our party stands for less regulation, not the creation of new, convoluted legal definitions that force employers to check multiple statutes before making simple personnel decisions.

Unconstitutional and Legally Volatile

The Log Cabin Republicans of Tennessee believe in the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. This bill explicitly instructs Tennessee courts to ignore the "holding or reasoning" of the U.S. Supreme Court in Bostock v. Clayton County.

• Federal Conflict: As a matter of law, a state cannot simply "legislate away" a U.S. Supreme Court interpretation of federal civil rights. Passing a bill that is designed to be struck down in federal court is a poor use of taxpayer dollars and creates a legal "no-man's land" for Tennessee corporations.
• Property and Liberty: True conservatism protects the individual's right to liberty and the employer's right to property without state interference. This bill signals to the world that Tennessee’s legal climate is unpredictable and hostile to the uniform standards that national and international businesses require.

Protecting the Tennessee Brand

Tennessee has become an economic powerhouse by focusing on growth, low taxes, and common-sense governance. HB 1472 distracts from this mission. It risks billions in federal funding and invites years of expensive litigation—all to address a settled matter of federal law that has not harmed Tennessee's economy or its values.

The Republican Party is the party of individual liberty and limited government. HB 1472 is a big-government mandate that tells our courts which precedents they can and cannot read. We urge our leaders in the General Assembly to reject this overreach and return to the issues that matter most: keeping Tennessee the best place in the country to live, work, and raise a family.

Respectfully,

The Log Cabin Republicans of Tennessee