The session-long spanking of Nashville by the Tennessee General Assembly continues at full speed this week.
The legislature, seeking to conclude its business for the year this week, is moving ahead with several pieces of legislation that would alter Metro governance. These efforts follow the legislature’s earlier legislation cutting the Metro Council in half; that law was quickly put on hold by a court.
Here’s a rundown of where other anti-Nashville bills stand:
The Tennessee House voted 67-19 Thursday for new legislation curtailing community oversight boards like the one established by Nashville voters in 2018.
The Senate passed the legislation earlier this month, and now it heads to Gov. Bill Lee.
Nashville voters backed the establishment of the new police oversight body in the wake of the police shootings of Jocques Clemmons in 2017 and Daniel Hambrick in 2018.
The state House on Thursday voted 69-22 to approve legislation reconstituting the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, which oversees Nashville International Airport and John C. Tune Airport. The legislation now goes back to the state Senate, which previously voted in favor of a different version of the bill.
Under the proposed law, the governor, the speaker of the House and the speaker of the Senate would each get two appointments to the airport board, as would the Nashville mayor. Currently, the mayor appoints the full board.
The state House voted 71-21 Thursday in favor of legislation restricting Nashville’s Convention Center Authority finances.
The Senate previously passed the bill.
Initially, Republican lawmakers proposed stripping the authority’s ability to collect taxes to pay back debt on the Music City Center. The move was quickly called illegal.
An amendment instead forces the authority to spend any excess revenue either on paying back the Music City Center debt or on MCC improvements or expansions. In recent years, some excess revenue has gone to Nashville’s general fund.
Earlier this week, the state House passed a bill reconstituting that Metropolitan Sports Authority, which oversees Nissan Stadium, Bridgestone Arena and other Nashville sports facilities. The legislation still requires Senate approval.
