Sounds dead on the hill

The Nashville Sounds may have had a small victory in the legislature last week, but that was last week -- Updated with current status of legislation

Email | Print By Ken Whitehouse

UPDATE: Due to other budget issues, the Sounds legislation was not addressed in today's committee meeting. The next opportunity for any action to be taken in committee is next Wednesday. (For more coverage of the state's budget, check out Post Politics.)

The Nashville Sounds celebrated a bit early when they were able to get a stadium funding bill through a state senate subcommittee last week. This week, they are about to fall into the black hole of the legislature.

NashvillePost.com has learned that legislation pushed by the Sounds that would allow them to divert tax dollars generated by the team toward a new stadium is being put "behind the budget" in a house budget committee meeting later today. Being placed behind the budget in this situation means your legislation will never see the light of day.

Mayor Karl Dean is strongly opposed to giving the Sounds the tax break and called their legislative maneuvering an act of bad faith. Since the vote, he has cut off all negotiations with the team.

Since last week's senate subcommittee vote in favor of the Sounds, NashvillePost.com has observed and received multiple tips that Metro lobbyist Eddie Davidson was working behind the scenes to undo what former Tennessee Titans COO and current Sounds consultant Jeff Diamond had done. It now appears that Davidson has done his job.

Diamond and the Sounds may feel today that they have been blindsided – tackled by a mugger in Printer's Alley, if you will – and that their only remaining option is to call Dean asking to restart negotiations.

Should be an interesting phone call.