Issues
Senator Heidi Campbell works on the issues that matter most to Tennessee families, from public education and healthcare access to gun safety, government transparency, and protecting our children through DCS reform. She brings the same hands on, get it done approach to every fight, whether it's in a committee room or a constituent's living room. Below are a few of her current legislative priorities: practical, bipartisan bills aimed at funding our roads, building a modern recycling economy, and keeping local communities in control of their own future.
Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act
Turning Trash Into Tennessee Jobs
Tennessee ranks 48th in the nation for recycling, and fewer than half of residents have access to recycling services at all.Landfills are filling up fast. Senator Heidi Campbell has a plan to fix that and create jobs in the process.
What the Bill Does
The Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act establishes an Extended Producer Responsibility model for packaging. Companies that manufacture packaging join a statewide Producer Responsibility Organization, funding recycling services based on what they produce. That organization works with local governments to expand recycling access and consumer education, without sticking cities and counties with the bill.
Built for Small Business
Companies under $10 million in annual revenue are exempt, meaning most Tennessee small businesses see no new obligations. Counties under 200,000 residents can opt in rather than being required to join.
The Payoff
Senator Campbell estimates the bill could create more than 7,700 jobs, bring roughly $300 million a year into Tennessee's recycling infrastructure, and boost the state's recycling rate by over 350%, all while saving local governments money. It has drawn support from major manufacturers, Tennessee's aluminum industry, and bipartisan lawmakers.
Backed by Major Brands
The Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act has earned support from some of the biggest names in consumer goods, alongside leading recycling and sustainability organizations. Endorsers include Unilever, Nestle, Mars, Danone, and IKEA, as well as the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance, The Recycling Partnership, the Association of Plastic Recyclers, Atlantic Packaging, and Aphena Pharma Solutions. These companies back the bill because it gives them a reliable, homegrown supply of recycled material to meet their own sustainability goals, while helping Tennessee compete with the seven other states that have already passed similar legislation.
Where It Stands
The bill hasn't yet passed the General Assembly, but momentum and bipartisan interest continue to grow. Senator Campbell is committed to bringing it back and making Tennessee a Southeast leader in modern recycling.
For more information about The Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act and how you can support it, click here.
Pot for Potholes
A New Way to Fund Tennessee's Roads
Tennessee's infrastructure backlog runs deep: nearly $58 billion to fully repair the state's roads, bridges, and transit systems. Senator Heidi Campbell says the state already has an untapped revenue source sitting in plain sight: cannabis.
What the Bill Does
In 2026, Senator Campbell and Representative Aftyn Behn are sponsored the Pot for Potholes Act (SB 2440/HB 2525), which would have legalized marijuana for adults 21 and older and directed the tax revenue toward roads, bridges, and transit. Adults could possess up to 60 grams and grow up to 12 plants for personal use. The bill created a regulated system for licensed cultivation, testing, processing, and sales, with a 15% sales tax funding the state highway fund and county infrastructure.
Why It Matters
Tennesseans already buy cannabis; they just drive to Illinois or Virginia to do it, sending tax revenue to other states. The bill prioritizes homegrown Tennessee businesses over large out-of-state operators, and supporters say it would help veterans and Tennesseans managing chronic illness who currently travel out of state for relief.
Where It Stands
The bill hasn't advanced yet in Tennessee's Republican-controlled legislature. Senator Campbell and Representative Behn continue building support through their public campaign and plan to refile the legislation in the 2027 legislative session.
For more information about Pot for Potholes and how you can support it, click here.
Power to the People Act
Keeping Data Center Decisions in Local Hands
Data centers are popping up across Tennessee faster than communities can respond, from a controversial project proposed next to the Nashville Zoo to new facilities in Knox County and beyond. Memphis has already lived this fight firsthand, where xAI's Colossus data center has drawn lawsuits and community pushback over air pollution and its strain on the region's power grid. Senator Campbell believes the impact of these massive facilities, on water, traffic, noise, and the power grid, is felt locally, and local governments should keep the final say.
What the Bill Does
The Power to the People Act guarantees that local governments retain the authority to approve or reject new data centers in their communities, modeled on the Jackson Law, the landmark Tennessee statute that gives localities control over new landfills. The Act also includes three companion measures: requiring grid impact studies as part of state approval so the analysis TVA already performs becomes part of the public record, requiring TVA to disclose its power purchase agreements, and creating a state energy infrastructure fund, capitalized by fees on data centers, to help build out local distribution infrastructure.
Why It Matters
Data centers strain local water supplies, roads, and electrical grids, often with little public visibility into the true cost or who is footing the bill. Senator Campbell's plan brings that information into the open and makes sure the communities living with the impact keep the power to say no.
Where It Stands
Senator Campbell is currently drafting this legislation. She believes it has real potential for bipartisan support, since data center concerns are showing up in liberal and conservative communities alike, though she's watching closely for competing legislation that would strip local governments of this authority altogether.