During his first year in the Senate, Senator Kelsey immediately made his presence known by passing a constitutional amendment through the Senate for the first time in Tennessee history to permanently ban a state income tax and a payroll tax. In his second year he sponsored the Governor's tort reform legislation and passed through the Senate the Equal Opportunity Scholarship Act to allow low-income children scholarships to attend the Kindergarten through 12th grade schools of their choice. Also in his second year he was named Secretary of the Education Committee and was appointed to the powerful Finance, Ways, and Means Committee as well as the Judiciary Committee. He also serves on the Senate Rules Committee and the Joint Fiscal Review Committee. He was awarded the 2011 Memphis Area Association of Governments Legislator of the Year.
Prior to being elected to the Senate, Brian Kelsey served from 2004 to 2009 as a State Representative, representing portions of East Memphis and Germantown. In the House, Senator Kelsey served as the Republican Floor Leader, having been elected by his colleagues for the 2007 and 2008 legislative sessions. In 2009 Senator Kelsey was appointed Chairman of the Civil Practice and Procedure Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee. While serving in the House, Senator Kelsey focused his efforts on reducing pork spending, reforming ethics, fighting crime, protecting life, and improving education.
In the private sector, Senator Kelsey is a local attorney and small business owner of the Kelsey Firm, practicing law in the areas of civil litigation, probate and estate, contracts, real estate, and criminal defense. His office is located on the Collierville town square in a building where his great grandfather once ran a shoe store. Senator Kelsey also finds time to teach a course on constitutional law to undergraduate students at the University of Memphis. Senator Kelsey received his law degree from Georgetown University and his undergraduate degree, with honors, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also studied abroad one semester at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
Prior to his legislative service, Senator Kelsey worked as a legal intern for President George W. Bush in the Office of the Counsel to the President. He also served as a legal intern for U.S. Senator Bill Frist and U.S. Congressman Ed Bryant. He interned, as well, for the U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Senator Fred Thompson.
In addition to his legislative and legal work, Senator Kelsey attends Fellowship Memphis church, where he sings in the choir and is a former 1st grade Sunday School teacher. He currently teaches a 11th grade Bible study. He is a member of the Republican National Lawyers Association, the Christian Legal Society, the Federalist Society, and the Tennessee Bar Association. He has tutored children at Kingsbury High School and Lester Community Center and served on the Shelby County Republican Party Steering Committee and the Shelby County Young Republicans Executive Board as well as the Methodist LeBonheur Germantown Hospital Advisory Board.
Senator Kelsey was selected to the Memphis Business Journal “Top 40 Under 40” in 2004 and the Business Tennessee Magazine “30 Under 30” in 2005. He received recognition in 2008 from Memphis Area Legal Services for his pro bono service to indigent clients. In 2011 he was selected by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as one of Memphis' Finest Young Professionals.
In his free time Senator Kelsey enjoys playing “Rock Band” with his niece and nephews, watching basketball, reading, playing softball, practicing his Spanish, and traveling. He’s visited twenty-three countries on five continents.
Senator Kelsey currently resides in Germantown, Tennessee and is a seventh-generation Shelby County resident.
Biographical Information
- Christian – attends Fellowship Memphis Church
- Attorney – solo practitioner at the Kelsey Firm, PLLC
- Adjunct Professor of Political Science – University of Memphis
- B.A. with honors, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- J.D., Georgetown University
Public Office
Tennessee Senate
- Secretary, Senate Education Committee, 2011-present
- Member, Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee, 2011-present
- Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, 2010-present
- Member, Senate Rules Committee, 2011-present
- Member, Joint Fiscal Review Committee, 2010-present
- Member, 2009-present
- Chairman, Civil Practice and Procedure Subcommittee, 2009
- Republican Floor Leader, 2007-2008
- Member, 2004-2006
- Kingsbury High School tutor
- 11th grade Bible study teacher
- Republican National Lawyers Association
- Christian Legal Society
- Lester Community Center, former volunteer children’s reader
- Federalist Society, Memphis Lawyers Chapter board member
- Shelby County Republican Party, former Steering Committee member
- Shelby County Young Republicans, former Executive Board member
- Tennessee Bar Association
- Fellowship Memphis Church, choir member and former 1st grade Sunday School teacher
- Methodist LeBonheur Germantown Hospital Advisory Board
- 7th generation Shelby County resident
Honors and Awards
- Memphis Area Association of Governments Legislator of the Year (2011)
- Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Memphis' Finest Young Professionals (2011)
- Memphis Area Legal Services pro bono service award (2008)
- Business Tennessee Magazine’s “30 Under 30” (2005)
- Memphis Business Journal “Top 40 under 40″ (2004)