A three-judge panel has stopped Tennessee lawmakers from taking six seats on Nashville’s 13-member body overseeing its professional sports venues.
Earlier this year, state Republican lawmakers passed legislation allowing state officials to appoint six members to a new sports authority board, leaving seven seats, and therefore the majority, in the hands of the Metro Nashville mayor and council.
Friday’s ruling temporarily blocks the state from doing this, leaving the board as it currently stands with members entirely appointed and approved by Metro Nashville.
The sports authority legislation is one of six bills lawmakers passed during its 2023 legislative session targeting Nashville laws and boards.
Nashville’s legal department sued the state over four bills, winning two cases outright and getting two temporary injunctions in the others.
“This is now the fourth consecutive ruling from the three-judge panel stating the Legislature violated the Tennessee Constitution regarding the home-rule provision,” said Rep. Caleb Hemmer, D-Nashville. “The flawed and unconstitutional strategy to inflict damage on Nashville was illegal and unfair. My hope is that we can get back to passing bills that promote Nashville instead of punishing it this Legislative session as that is what is in the best interest of the state of Tennessee and its citizens.”
State Republicans went after the Democratic-led Nashville because in June 2022 the Metro Council blocked an agreement for the city to host the 2024 Republican National Convention.
The dispute between the two bodies has gone on for years, with state Republicans preempting various Nashville zoning and criminal justice reform laws and gerrymandering the city’s U.S. Congressional Districts to prevent a Democrat from winning a seat.
State Republicans argued they deserve seats on Nashville’s sports authority after agreeing to contribute $500 million to the new Tennessee Titans stadium. Metro Nashville is putting up $760 million for the project.
The sports authority oversees all of Nashville’s publicly funded sports stadiums, including the Nashville Predators and Nashville SC stadiums.
Read more at TennesseeLookout.com.