One-On-One With Tennessee Representative Aftyn Behn

How was your first legislative session? Are you proud of everything you have accomplished?
As the newest member of the body, I think I did the best I could given the circumstances. I had big shoes to fill as Rep. Bill Beck was so beloved by the district and his colleagues, but I think I’ve won most of them over. 😁My experience as an organizer holding the legislature accountable and lobbying for progressive policies set a solid foundation for organizing on the inside: I passed my first bill as a member of the superminority which would ensure that closing daycare facilities notify enrolled and waitlisted families.

What are you looking forward to for the next session?
Is it strange that I already miss the chaos? 🤣I am currently crafting legislation and scheming to hold the Republican supermajority accountable, challenging their brand and narrative through legislative policy campaigns.  I am currently developing a bipartisan bill that has the potential to garner support from many rural Republicans. Finally, I’m excited for fresh faces, post-election year— I plan to invite the new electeds out in my district so we get to know each other before we have time to get mad.

Tell me your plans for ending the grocery tax. What inspired you to put this in motion?
I fall asleep at night, concocting plans to eliminate the grocery tax. A few weeks ago, I created a power map to map the stakeholders and determine how long it might take to come to fruition…. 2027 is my goal. Voters across the political spectrum are strongly pleading to end the tax, so I plan to ensure that any new electeds in 2025 commit to ending the tax. The idea? Miss Renee, a fixed-income disabled senior across the street, came home one day from the grocery store in tears, upset at the cost of groceries. I also want to credit my friend Jason Freeman, former SEIU political director, who has been working on progressive tax reform in Tennessee. Feeling inflation and the lived reality of struggling Tennesseans coupled with political intentionality led to the idea!

Moving to reproductive rights and abortion, I know Democrats had a lot of bills on the table they were trying to get passed to make exceptions to the abortion ban in Tennessee. Do you have any bills you are working on to try and push that further? I should know better, but I was shocked that the Republican supermajority, in an election year, would go even further to criminalize reproductive access. They even passed on codifying the right to IVF! With the recent Vanderbilt poll showing that a slim majority of Tennesseans want the right to abortion, it’s clear the legislature is way out of touch with most Tennesseans. I’ll continue to challenge the abortion ban with our “North Star” bill, which would repeal 19 laws on the books and seek to create a Tennessee of reproductive justice.

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Are you working on any legislation to safeguard a person's right to birth control? I know a lot are concerned they may no longer be able to access this since we have one of the strictest abortion bans in the country.
I’m constantly working with organizers and groups pushing for reproductive access, and I know we’ll bring forth legislation to safeguard a Tennessean’s right to birth control. We did have a win this year to ensure that our state’s Medicaid beneficiaries can receive a 12-month supply of birth control.

Opill is the only over-the-counter birth control pill available in the United States. Do you think this is a big step forward for the country to have access to this?
Yes, I believe the availability of Opill as an over-the-counter birth control pill is a significant step forward for our country, including here in Tennessee. Making birth control readily available without a prescription helps to reduce barriers for many folks, particularly those who may face challenges in accessing healthcare providers, especially in rural areas.

How do you think it will impact those you know, without insurance?
The cost and logistical challenges of visiting a healthcare provider for a prescription can be prohibitive for those without insurance. By making birth control available over the counter, we eliminate the need for a doctor's visit, reducing both the financial burden and the time commitment required to obtain contraception. This change ensures that more people, regardless of their insurance status, have access to reliable birth control options.

Switching gears, you are out in the District 51 community a lot, what have you heard from constituents about what they want to see happen next session?
I’m upset that a few families are leaving my district this year because they don’t feel safe raising their families. Many constituents have expressed fear and frustration over legislation that infringes on personal freedoms and targets vulnerable populations, such as restrictive reproductive health laws, anti-LGBTQ+ measures, and inadequate responses to gun violence.
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I ran on challenging extremism and fighting to break the supermajority: my constituents know that I’m supporting Democrats running for office all across the state to chip away at their power. It will take time, but I’m in it for the long haul.