The Tennessee House of Representatives passed legislation on Tuesday to cap local metropolitan governing bodies at 20 members, a law that would only currently apply to Nashville’s 40-member Metro Council. The legislation — House Bill 48 and its accompanying Senate Bill 87 — now moves to the Senate, where it’s expected to be met with overwhelming support from the chamber’s Republican majority.
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mx7 A2DD65 2D HC:EE6?[ E96 3:== H@F=5 7@C46 }2D9G:==6 E@ BF:4<=J 4@?D@=:52E6 G@E:?8 5:DEC:4ED 2?5 A@DD:3=J 6IE6?5 4FCC6?E =2H>2<6CD’ E6C>D 2? 6IEC2 J62C E@ C6>2:? :? 4@>A=:2?46 H:E9 DE2E6 =2H[ H9:49 >2?52E6D 6=64E:@?D :? pF8FDE a_ac] {@42= 6=64E:@?D 7@C >2J@C[ G:46 >2J@C 2?5 2== c_ 4@F?4:= D62ED 2C6 4FCC6?E=J D4965F=65 7@C pF8] b[ a_ab] %96 3:== H@F=5 C6BF:C6 ?6H G@E6C C68:DEC2E:@? 42C5D 7@C 2== 4@F?EJ G@E6CD[ 4@DE:?8 E96 s2G:5D@? r@F?EJ t=64E:@? r@>>:DD:@? 2C@F?5 Sad_[___ :? >2:=6C 766D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mw@FD6 |2;@C:EJ {6256C (:==:2> {2>36CE9 W#\!@CE=2?5X 42CC:65 E96 3:== E9C@F89 E96 w@FD6[ 5676?5:?8 E96 3@5J’D C:89E E@ :?E6CG6?6 :? =@42= 8@G6C?>6?ED] $6?] q@ (2ED@? W#\w:ID@?X 42CC:6D E96 3:== :? E96 $6?2E6[ H9:49 H:== 4@?D:56C :E @? %9FCD52J]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mp5G@42E6D D2J E92E C65F4:?8 E96 D:K6 @7 }2D9G:==6’D 4:EJ 4@F?4:= — E96 E9:C5\=2C86DE :? E96 4@F?ECJ[ 369:?5 E9@D6 @7 r9:428@ 2?5 }6H *@C< r:EJ — H:== =625 E@ 2 >@C6 677:4:6?E 3@5J] rC:E:4D 42DE E96 =68:D=2E:@? 2D E96 =2E6DE F??646DD2CJ[ A6EEJ 2EE24< @? E96 4:EJ 3J A2CE:D2? =2H>2<6CD] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m#6A] q@3 uC66>2? Ws\}2D9G:==6X FC865 4@==628F6D E@ C64@?D:56C 29625 @7 |@?52J’D G@E6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAm“(6 H6C6 }@] a :? vs! 8C@HE9 7C@> a_a_ E@ a_a`[Q D2:5 uC66>2?] Q}@] d :? ;@3 8C@HE9] }@] d :? A@AF=2E:@? 8C@HE9 :? E96 ?2E:@?] u@C E9:D 3@5J E@ D:E 96C6 2?5 G@E6 E@ E2<6 2H2J >J G@E6 :? >J 4:EJ[ D2J:?8 :E D@>69@H 5@6D?’E H@C< H6==[ x ;FDE 5@?’E F?56CDE2?5 :E] x F?56CDE2?5 6G6CJ@?6’D 366? E@=5 H92E E@ 5@[ 2?5 J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ 5@ :E] qFE x 9@A6 A6@A=6 :? E9:D C@@> F?56CDE2?5 E96 52>286 E92E E9:D 42? 92G6 2?5 G@E6 282:?DE :E]”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m#6A] w2C@=5 {@G6 Ws\}2D9G:==6X[ H9@D6 72E96C H2D 2 492CE6C >6>36C @7 }2D9G:==6’D c_\A6CD@? 4@F?4:=[ C64@F?E65 E96 9:DE@CJ @7 E96 4@F?4:=’D D:K6 2?5 DA@<6 E@ :ED 25G2?E286D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m“%96 ?F>36C c_ 5:5?’E ;FDE A@A @FE @7 E96 D<J[Q {@G6 E@=5 9:D 76==@H =2H>2<6CD] QxE H2D G6CJ DEC2E68:4[ :E H2D G6CJ >6E:4F=@FD[ :E H2D A2CE @7 H92E H2D ?68@E:2E65 :? @C56C E@ 86E E96 4@?D@=:52E:@? G@E6 A2DD65] %9:D A2CE:4F=2C AC@A@D2= D66<D E@ E2<6 E96 ?F>36C 324< E@ AC6\`he` ?F>36CD] w@H 2C6 H6 E@ 6?DFC6 E96 5:G6CD:EJ @7 E9@F89E :? 2 4@F?4:= H:E9 a_ >6>36CD 8@:?8 7C@> c_ E@ a_n s:G6CD:EJ @7 286[ +x! 4@56[ C246 2?5 6E9?:4:EJ[ 5:G6CD:EJ @7 E9@F89E]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m{6256C {2>36CE9 5:D>:DD65 4@?46C?D 7C@> 9:D A@D:E:@? @? E96 52:D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m“~E96C 4:E:6D E92E 2C6 6IEC6>6=J 5:G6CD6 92G6 7:8FC65 @FE 9@H E@ 5@ E9:D 677:4:6?E=J[” {2>36CE9 C6DA@?565] w6 4:E65 $2? uC2?4:D4@[ t= !2D@[ s6?G6C[ s]r] 2?5 |6>A9:D[ 2== 4:E:6D H:E9 D>2==6C 4@F?4:=D] “%9:D :D?’E ;FDE 23@FE }2D9G:==6] xE’D 23@FE 6G6CJ D:?8=6 4:EJ :? E9:D DE2E6 ?@E 36:?8 23=6 E@ 6IA2?5 2?5 >2<6 E96 >:DE2<6 }2D9G:==6 >256 d_ J62CD 28@ E@ 92G6 c_ >6>36CD]“k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m{2>36CE9 H6?E @? E@ 4C:E:4:K6 E96 4:EJ 7@C 7:?2?4:2= >:D>2?286>6?E[ 4:E:?8 C:D:?8 AC@A6CEJ E2I6D 2?5 2 9:89 C2E6 @7 563E A6C E2IA2J6C] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m“%92E’D ?@E 6I24E=J E96 EJA6 @7 C6AC6D6?E2E:@? E92E x H@F=5 E9:?< %6??6DD62?D H@F=5 6IA64E @FE @7 E96:C =@42= 4:EJ 8@G6C?>6?E[” D2:5 {2>36CE9] “qFE 282:?[ x H:== C6:E6C2E6[ E9:D :D ?@E ;FDE 23@FE }2D9G:==6]” k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?myFDE E9C66 >6EC@A@=:E2? 8@G6C?>6?ED 6I:DE :? %6??6DD66[ E9@F89 E9:D =2H H@F=5 @?=J 27764E |6EC@ }2D9G:==6] x? w2CEDG:==6\%C@FD52=6 r@F?EJ[ 2 a_\>6>36C 3@5J C6AC6D6?ED `a[___ C6D:56?ED] x? {J?493FC8\|@@C6 r@F?EJ[ 2 `d\>6>36C 3@5J C6AC6D6?ED e[e__ C6D:56?ED]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m$6G6C2=k^DA2?m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6D46?6]4@>^?6HD^A:E9:?E96H:?5^9286CEJ\D=2>D\G@E:?8\2446DD\BF6DE:@?D\>44@??6==\:?\C2C6\AF3=:4\2AA62C2?46^2CE:4=60f2becbfc\hh_2\``65\gchf\g3df43cbch2b]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDA2?m4FCC6?E 4@F?4:=>6>36CDk^DA2?mk^2m kDA2?m92G6 DA@<6? :? 72G@C @7 4FEE:?8 E96 3@5J’D ?F>36CD[ :?4=F5:?8 #@36CE $H@A6 2?5 y@?2E92? w2==] {2>36CE9 BF@E65 $H@A6 E@ 56>@?DEC2E6 =@42= DFAA@CE 7@C 4@F?4:= C65F4E:@?] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mx? a_`d[ }2D9G:==6 G@E6CD C6;64E65 2 >62DFC6 E92E H@F=5 C65F46 E96 D:K6 @7 E96 4@F?4:= E@ af] {2DE >@?E9[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6D46?6]4@>^?6HD^A:E9:?E96H:?5^@?\7:CDE\C625:?8\A@<:?8\E96\362C\C6K@?:?8\2?5\C6567:?:?8\72>:=J^2CE:4=60b3ad_a__\2g`d\``65\3b3f\e3eh5e6hafc3]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm|6EC@ 4@F?4:=>6>36CD A2DD65 2 DJ>3@=:4 C6D@=FE:@? @AA@D:?8 DE2E6 677@CED E@ C65F46 :ED D:K6k^2m] %9C66 >6>36CD — w2==[ $H@A6 2?5 %@?J2 w2?4@4< — G@E65 ?@[ H9:=6 r@FCE?6J y@9?DE@? 2?5 {2CCJ w282C 23DE2:?65]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmk6>m%9:D DE@CJ H2D 7:CDE AF3=:D965 3J @FC D:DE6C AF3=:42E:@?k^6>m }2D9G:==6 $46?6k6>m]k^6>mk^Am
