A lawsuit challenging state legislation attempting to cut the size of the Metro Council in half will soon go before the Tennessee Supreme Court.
The court on Monday granted Metro's Rule 11 application appealing a June 3 decision from the Tennessee Court of Appeals, which would have required the council to reduce its size.
Republicans pushed to cut Nashville’s legislative body in half
This comes amid a years-long battle between Metro and the state following a 2023 state law that caps the legislative bodies of metropolitan governments to 20 members. Metro sued the state soon after and has argued the law violates the Tennessee Constitution's Home Rule Amendment, which bars the legislature from targeting local governments in their policymaking. Nashville is the only metro government in Tennessee that has more than 20 members.
A three-judge panel ruled in favor of Metro in June 2024, while appellate judges later reversed that decision.
"This matter has garnered significant public attention, and the outcome will be closely watched by the Metro Council and the Nashvillians we are privileged to represent, as briefs are filed and arguments are scheduled before the Tennessee Supreme Court in the coming weeks," Vice Mayor Angie Henderson says in a release.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
