Tennessee lawmakers could soon take control of airports across the state, and away from local governments, according to a new bill backed by House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville).
Administrative legislation about airport financial reports had flown under the radar until Sexton suddenly gave it an amendment spelling out a new structure for Tennessee airport boards. State Sen. Paul Bailey (R-Sparta), a frontrunner to replace outgoing Lt. Gov. Randy McNally atop the chamber, carries the legislation in the Senate.
Sexton’s push comes weeks after state attorneys defended airport control legislation passed by the chamber in 2023 at the Tennessee Supreme Court. Nashville sued the state over that bill, which created a new competing airport authority and, Metro attorneys argue, unfairly targeted the city. The court has not ruled yet on the issue, but appeared to question its constitutionality during Feb. 12 oral arguments. The airport has been a central player in regional tourism and business expansion, and recently underwent extensive terminal renovations.
During oral arguments, Metro attorneys argue that lawmakers wrote legislation targeting Nashville
Under this new legislation, the state House speaker, state Senate speaker and governor would each gain the power to appoint two members to a nine-person commission governing certain state airports, including Nashville International Airport (BNA). The remaining three appointees would fall to a local chief executive, such as a mayor, with additional guidelines for airports spanning multiple municipalities and multiple states. Each commissioner would serve a four-year term. The bill also lays out quotas for commissioners, requiring that at least one be female, at least one must be a racial minority, and several more hold certain required professional credentials.
The House Transportation Subcommittee will review the bill on Tuesday, March 3; then it will head to the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee on March 4. Accommodations for local executives — as well as quotas for race and gender diversity — appear as attempted concessions from conservative lawmakers who previously launched a more targeted takeover, possibly in violation of the state constitution’s home rule protections. Its application to airports beyond Nashville also make this bill more defensible in court.
Still, Nashville was not consulted in the process of drafting this new airport control plan, according to the mayor’s office. Mayor Freddie O’Connell hired former Democratic state Rep. Darren Jernigan in 2023 to help navigate the fraying city-state relationship.
“We expect communities across Tennessee — like Nashville — will prefer local control of assets where we’ve worked to create value,” O’Connnell tells the Scene.
