Tennessee And Utah Lead Federalism Scorecard Newsbreak

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 28, 2025, 5:04 PM

tennessee and utah lead federalism scorecard newsbreak

Kentucky’s junior U.S. Senator Rand Paul, R-Bowling Green, has introduced the Health Marketplace and Savings Accounts for All Act, to make all Americans eligible for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). WRIC 8 News reported that a beloved and influential Richmond pastor passed away on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, after more than four decades of serving the community. Rev. Dr. A.

Lincoln James, Jr., was the beloved pastor of Richmond’s Trinity Baptist Church for 45 years, according to a December 18 Facebook post from the church. Having served the same community for so long, James was well known, and many people benefited from his leadership. CALIFORNIA – Riverside County district attorney Mike Hestrin announced December 2 that he, along with 37 other county DAs and two City Attorneys, reached a settlement with Panda Express. This is the story atheists love to use to attack the Bible. Elisha is walking down a road, and a group of "little children" mock him, shouting, "Go up, you baldhead!" Elisha curses them, and two female bears come out of the woods and maul 42... Transparency around the Epstein files became a stress test for whether laws still constrain those in charge—or merely inconvenience them.

Political fatigue and public disengagement are no longer signs of apathy but symptoms of sustained institutional abuse. The Center for Practical Federalism has released a new scorecard ranking the states in their ability to push back against excessive federal agency influence and control. “Rather than a rank ordering of “best” to “worst” states, therefore, our Federalism Scorecard is an index of vulnerability to federal pressure,” reads a line from the report. Tennessee and Utah are the top of list while Alabama and Montana are rated the most vulnerable states to federal pressure. More from the scorecard: “Our goal is not to cast blame on particular states, policymakers, or political parties. Instead, we are sounding the alarm for every citizen who believes states and communities should govern themselves, and that this governing ought to be done primarily by elected representatives of the people.

Tennessee and Utah, both enacted a number of reforms identified in the Federalism Scorecard this past year. Tennessee, most notably, reformed the way it processes federal grants, requiring additional review by the Legislature.” The State Policy Network’s 2025 Federalism Scorecard found Tennessee to be the least vulnerable state to federal agency pressure and influence. The scorecard, published by the State Policy Network’s Center for Practical Federalism, evaluates how vulnerable each state is to federal government influence, particularly through state agencies and the conditions attached to federal grants, and... All 50 states are ranked based on two sets of variables that assess the extent to which elected representatives properly govern state agencies and the extent to which those representatives have visibility and authority... Tennessee received the highest ranking with a score of 67.18.

Utah was ranked second with a close score of 66.34. The will of Tennesseans should always come before the wishes of D.C. bureaucrats. Thanks to strong conservative leadership from our Republican supermajority, Tennessee is ranked the #1 LEAST VULNERABLE state to federal overreach. The Volunteer State leads the nation in protecting… pic.twitter.com/mrxwkMpHeb This special report prepared by the Center for Practical Federalism at State Policy Network is derived from a 50-state analysis of multiple variables—our Federalism Scorecard—that reveal the vulnerability of states to influence by federal...

States that perform well on this Scorecard place authority over internal state agency operations, as well as the state’s relationship with federal agencies, in the hands of elected officials rather than unelected administrators. We include the extent to which state agencies are accountable to legislators in our analysis (rather than simply looking at state–federal relations), because federal agencies often exert power through their state counterparts. If elected officials don’t have visibility and oversight with regard to their own state’s agencies, in other words, they won’t be able to check federal influence over how their own laws and budgets are... The first set of variables assesses the extent to which elected representatives properly govern state agencies, and the second set assesses the extent to which those representatives have visibility and authority over their state’s... This report draws its reform recommendations from the best laws in “red” and “blue” states alike, consistent with the principle that citizens ought to be governed by people they elect. *Correction: A 5-point adjustment was made to South Carolina’s score due to a scoring error.

This update did not affect the state’s overall ranking. Compare with the 2024 Federalism Scorecard State Rep. William Slater played key role in promoting oversight, transparency NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. William Slater, R-Gallatin, today announced Tennessee’s ranking as the least vulnerable state to pressure from the federal government.

The Volunteer State topped the State Policy Network’s (SPN) Federalism Scorecard with a score of 67.18, indicating its strength against pressure […] NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. William Slater, R-Gallatin, today announced Tennessee’s ranking as the least vulnerable state to pressure from the federal government. The Volunteer State topped the State Policy Network’s (SPN) Federalism Scorecard with a score of 67.18, indicating its strength against pressure and influence from federal agencies and federal funding cuts. The recognition highlights efforts by Slater and the Tennessee Republican supermajority to improve life for residents through common-sense conservative governance.

“Federalism has been integral to the success of the United States and is one of the reasons our nation is gearing up to celebrate its 250th anniversary next year,” said Slater. “Protecting the Volunteer State from excessive federal overreach increases our preparedness, preserves vital checks and balances and promotes effective governance. I’m honored to have played a role in the Republican supermajority’s efforts to emphasize transparency and oversight by ensuring the state government serves all Tennesseans.” Slater has passed several measures to improve Tennessee’s resilience to federal changes and pressure, including the creation of the Tennessee Federal Education Deregulation Task Force. The seven-member task force ensures Tennessee can effectively respond to the deregulation or dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

In its federalism assessment, the SPN cited a law passed by Slater last year that requires federal ED directives regarding the implementation of rules to be provided to the Tennessee General Assembly. State Rep. William Slater, R-Gallatin, announced on Monday, Dec. 1, Tennessee’s ranking as the least vulnerable state to pressure from the federal government. The Volunteer State topped the State Policy Network’s (SPN) Federalism Scorecard with a score of 67.18, indicating its strength against pressure and influence from federal agencies and federal funding cuts. The recognition highlights efforts by Slater and the Tennessee Republican supermajority to improve life for residents through common-sense conservative governance.

In its federalism assessment, the SPN cited a law passed by Slater last year that requires federal ED directives regarding the implementation of rules to be provided to the Tennessee General Assembly. Other Republican measures to improve accountability include a new process requiring state agencies to notify and, in some cases, get approval from the General Assembly before requesting or accepting federal grant dollars, increasing transparency... The SPN also recognized Tennessee for being the only state providing an easy avenue for citizens to seek injunctive relief from actions taken by a state agency.

Tennessee And Utah Lead Federalism Scorecard Newsbreak

People Also Search

Kentucky’s Junior U.S. Senator Rand Paul, R-Bowling Green, Has Introduced

Lincoln James, Jr., Was The Beloved Pastor Of Richmond’s Trinity

Political Fatigue And Public Disengagement Are No Longer Signs Of

Tennessee And Utah, Both Enacted A Number Of Reforms Identified

Utah Was Ranked Second With A Close Score Of 66.34.