The Governor’s family business and major lobbying companies received thousands from new franchise tax refunds

Tennessee’s Department of Revenue has officially released the names of businesses that received tax refunds due to the franchise tax reform bill passed last year.  

Republicans said at the time that the reform was necessary to avoid a costly lawsuit, but did not disclose more details. The tax refund created a $400 million recurring loss to the state budget. 

It was also unclear what companies would benefit from the reform – until now.  

The Governor’s own family business, Lee Company, received an undisclosed amount of money greater than $10,000. It is one of more than 15,000 companies to receive higher than that amount. 

Other notable recipients include CoreCivic, the Brentwood-based private prison company which operates facilities in Tennessee and is one of the largest political donors in the state. Wayne Halfway House is also on the list — the company operates private juvenile detention facilities in Tennessee and has a lot of sway at the legislature.  

More: Lawmakers reach deal on business franchise tax in the final hours of session

Another concern about the reform bill was that it would be sending tax-payer money out of state. Big businesses like Amazon, Coca Cola, Tesla and Walmart got breaks of more than $10,000.  

“This is the real cost of trickle-down economics: corporate handouts while working families get left behind, ” Sen. Heidi Campbell of Nashville said in a press release. “It’s fiscally irresponsible and morally indefensible. Tennesseans deserve leaders who fight for them — not for out-of-state CEOs.”

The information will only be available for public viewing for one month on the Department of Revenue’s website and will be taken down as of June 30.