Republicans propose cutting Metro Council in half

Tennessee Republican leaders are seeking to cut the size of the Metro Council in half in a move seen as retribution for Nashville’s rejection of a push to host the 2024 Republican National Convention in the city.

House Majority Leader William Lamberth and Senate Finance Committee Chair Bo Watson, both Republicans, filed the so-called Small Government Efficiency Act on Monday. It would cap the size of metropolitan and municipal legislative bodies in Tennessee at 20 members. Though Nashville is not mentioned in the announcement, the Metro Council is the only such body in the state larger than the new maximum.