Mayor John Cooper speaks at Nashville International Airport in January
It’s been a busy year for the Metro Legal Department.
The city on Monday filed a suit against Gov. Bill Lee and Republican legislative leaders in an effort to stop the state’s planned takeover of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority. The complaint follows other legal challenges of state legislation aimed at Nashville this year.
In the new suit, Metro makes similar arguments as it has in prior challenges. The city contends that the state violated the state constitution’s prohibitions on legislation targeted at one local government when the legislature passed a law, later signed by Lee, vacating the mayor-appointed airport board and creating a new system where the governor and Republican legislative leaders could appoint a majority of the board’s members. Metro is asking the court to declare the law unconstitutional and enjoin its enforcement.
Earlier this year, Metro sued to stop a new state law cutting the Metro Council from 40 members to 20 members. A court panel enjoined that effort at least until after 2023 elections. The city has also sued to stop state-approved changes to city law governing renovations at The Fairgrounds Nashville. Other lawsuits regarding the legislature’s laws aimed at the Metro Sports Authority and the Metro Nashville Community Oversight Board could be forthcoming.
"The Nashville Airport has thrived with a bipartisan, business-oriented board appointed by Metro government for more than 50 years," Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz told Axios. "As an agency and instrumentality of Metro, the Nashville Airport has consistently performed well and expanded its capacity, with more passengers coming through BNA than ever before. This hostile takeover only affects one local government and violates the Tennessee Constitution."
