by Jon Styf
Metro Nashville has filed another lawsuit fighting a law passed by the Tennessee Legislature, this time challenging a new law that changes the way Nashville’s airport authority board members are appointed.
The new structure being challenged creates an eight-member board with two appointees each for the mayor, governor, House speaker and Senate speaker.
The board currently has seven members, all appointed by Nashville’s mayor and approved by the Metro Nashville council.
The lawsuit is again based on the Home Rule amendment of the Tennessee constitution, arguing the state cannot create legislation that only applies to one municipality, according to documents posted by WSMV Channel 4.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally are named in the lawsuit. Lawmakers argued the state’s increased funding for airports means the state should have more control over how the airports operate.
This year, Lee gave the state’s five major airports $59.5 million in his budget amendment while the state is giving $23.7 million to the smaller airports in general aviation support.
Those numbers have increased over the years as Tennessee installed a cap on its aviation fuel tax. FedEx paid $45 million in annual aviation fuel tax when the cap was first installed and will be down to $1 million for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
Nashville also sued over a bill that lowered the number of voting Nashville council members from 40 to 20 and a bill to block a supermajority requirement to approve demolition related to rebuilding the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
Nashville prevailed on one portion of its council reduction lawsuit, pushing the start of the law back to at least 2027.
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Jon Styf is an award-winning editor and reporter of The Center Square who has worked in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan in local newsrooms over the past 20 years, working for Shaw Media, Hearst and several other companies.
Photo “Bill Lee” by Bill Lee.
