NASHVILLE — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Thursday signed into law a measure to slash the size of the 40-member Metro Nashville Council to 20 members, less than an hour after fellow Republicans in the Senate approved the measure sponsored by Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson.
The bill is widely seen as retribution for the Metro Council torpedoing the Tennessee Republican Party’s effort to bring the 2024 Republican National Convention to Democratic-governed Music City. It passed on a 23-7 vote.
Earlier, Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, warned the new law will inject “chaos” into Metro elections this summer. It also violates three provisions of the Tennessee Constitution and will be challenged in court, Yarbro said.
The impact on Nashville will be “to upend its entire government in a matter of weeks,” Yarbro, who is running for mayor, told colleagues. “That’s just not a responsible way to lead.”