The legislation to create an East Bank Development Authority was kicked to the Senate Finance Committee on Monday.
While it does not have a fiscal note, Sen. Bo Watson (R-Hixson), who chairs the committee, made the motion on the floor to send the legislation to Finance “given the fiscal circumstances.” Two future major components of the East Bank — the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and Titans Stadium — both receive state funding.
The bill would create a seven-member board to develop, manage and promote the East Bank. Five members of the authority would be appointed by the mayor and two by the Metro Council. The state would have a presence on the board as well but with non-voting members. The board would include the comptroller of the treasury, state treasurer and secretary of state or their designees.
The Scene's sister publication the Nashville Post asked the office of Mayor Freddie O’Connell if he had any concerns about the legislation’s pushback to committees.
“Conversation in the General Assembly among members of both chambers continues to sometimes have independent moments of tension,” O'Connell said. “We’re continuing to engage with leadership, including committee chairs in both chambers. Chief Development Officer Bob Mendes and I would probably both like to be a little further ahead than where we are right now.”
The Tennessee General Assembly will convene once again in January. Will there be more city-versus-state battles?
Last session, Republicans made attempts to take control of the city’s sports and airport authorities, which the courts have since ruled against.
In the House, the companion bill was sent back to the local government committee last week. The Tennessee Journal reports that move came from state legislators who supported former Mayor John Cooper’s stalled effort to bring NASCAR back to the Fairgrounds Nashville site. Last year, state Republicans also passed a law aimed at lowering the threshold for Metro Council votes to approve major fairgrounds improvements. The city won a lawsuit overturning that law.
The mayor's office said it is still discussing with stakeholders — including Councilmember Terry Vo, neighbors and other interested parties — about improvements at the fairgrounds. But the mayor did not say if he will take up Cooper's efforts.
Franchise tax change
SB2103/HB1893 passed the Senate on Thursday. The bill removes a provision in the franchise tax law that references payment of taxes based on property in the state. Instead, businesses would pay taxes based upon their net worth going forward.
The legislation also established a $1.5 billion fund for reimbursements for taxpayers who overpaid based on property rather than net worth over the past three years.
Sens. Jeff Yarbro and Heidi Campbell (Nashville Democrats) attempted to place amendments on the bill. Yarbro’s was already voted against in the revenue subcommittee (read here) and so was tabled during the Senate session. Campbell’s was heard for the first time and would have required any refund disbursements to be considered public record. Ultimately, the amendment was also tabled.
TSU control
The future of the board of trustees at historically Black Tennessee State University remains unclear as the House and Senate advance two different versions of a bill.
Akbari: ‘We can't say we want TSU to be spoken of in the same breath as UT if we're not going to fund them appropriately’
On Thursday, the Senate passed a bill that would vacate the 10-member board, leaving Gov. Bill Lee to appoint eight new members by June 30. (The other two spots would be filled by a student and faculty representatives.) The House, however, passed a different version of the bill in its Government Operations Committee that would vacate just three board members and extend the term of the board to June 2026.
The bill is scheduled to be heard on the House floor on March 28. How the two chambers will reconcile differences in the legislation has yet to be seen.
The legislation comes amid years of scrutiny aimed at TSU, which has faced financial and housing-related issues. A scathing 2023 report from the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury outlined these issues and suggested leadership changes. Supporters of TSU point to decades of underfunding that surpasses $2.1 billion as the reason for some of the problems the university has faced.
The House version seeks to make some kind of compromise, as TSU supporters do not want to see the board vacated. They say it would result in a loss of institutional knowledge and complicate the board's search for a new president, as TSU President Glenda Glover will retire at the end of the academic year.
Doctor’s orders
A bill (SB2151/HB2861) passed the Senate this week under which doctors and other health care providers could lose their medical licenses if they are found to be forcing patients to get vaccinated or lying about if a vaccine is required by state law. Tennessee’s rates of child vaccination have plummeted over the past decade.
Medical qualifications
International medical school graduates do not have the same rights to moonlight, or pick up extra hours at the hospital during their residency, as medical students trained in the United States. A bill that passed the House Health Committee this week (HB2366/SB1936) makes the moonlighting qualifications equal for both types of students.
Reports on deaths
A bill that would require the Tennessee Department of Health to produce an annual report on suicide rates (HB2327/SB1787) passed the Senate this week. Another bill requiring a report on firearm injuries and deaths (HB1846/SB1657) also passed in the Senate.
Child care bills
Sen. Charlane Oliver’s bill (SB1907/HB2517) that would use a transpotainment tax to fund projects to expand the number of early childhood care slots statewide failed in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. It’s part of a slate of child care bills that Oliver introduced this session, and those centered on the Smart Steps payment assistance program were shot down earlier this session.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
