Tennessee House of Representatives
In 2023,after the death of five-term state representative Bill Beck,Behn campaigned in a special election for the 51st district of the Tennessee House of Representatives. She was endorsed by Gloria Johnson,Tennessee College Democrats,the Tennessee AFL-CIO and Equity Alliance Fund. [8] [9] [10] The Nashville Metro Council appointed former councilmember Anthony Davis to serve as interim representative until the special election in September. [11] Behn defeated Davis in the August primary with 53.46% of the vote. [12] She won the general election with 75.61% of the vote. [13]
On November 20,2023,Behn announced her legislative proposal to repeal the Tennessee sales tax on groceries. [14] On June 24,2024,she and Nashville attorney Rachel Welty filed a lawsuit against the state of Tennessee challenging a law passed during the 2025 legislation that they believe criminalizes certain speech in violation of the First Amendment. A federal judge temporarily blocked the law in September 2024. [15] On December 2,2024,Behn announced legislation to codify the Equal Rights Amendment in the Tennessee constitution. [16]
In 2024,Behn partnered with Republican Todd Warner to sponsor bipartisan legislation aimed at reforming how the Tennessee General Assembly handles workplace harassment and discrimination complaints. Their bill,House Bill 2533,proposed shifting the investigation process from internal legislative oversight to an independent liaison working with the state attorney general's office. This move was intended to increase transparency and reduce political interference in handling sensitive allegations. [17]
In May 2025,Behn physically followed ICE around Nashville and filmed herself confronting agents as they conducted their patrols. Federal officials,including U.S. Representative Andy Ogles,accused Behn of obstructing law enforcement operations. [18]
