Tennessee lawmakers are pushing back against a July court decision that allowed Nashville to keep its 40-member metro council.
Gov. Bill Lee and other state defendants filed their notice of appeal to the Tennessee Court of Appeals on Wednesday. At-large metro council member Delishia Porterfield, who is one of the plaintiffs in the case against the state, posted a copy of the appeal to social media.
The decision, made July 29 by a three-judge panel, nullifies a 2023 state law requiring all metropolitan governments in Tennessee to limit their local council size to 20 members or fewer. Of the state’s three metro governments, Nashville is the only one that would have to shrink its council to comply with the law.
The panel’s 2-1 decision bolstered the capital city’s efforts to fend off what city leaders say is unconstitutional state overreach.
The council size law had been under injunction since April 2023, allowing Nashville to proceed with its August 2023 metro council elections with a 40-member body.