NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican lawmakers and Tennessee's governor signed off Thursday on cutting Democratic-leaning Nashville's metro council in half, a move that follows the council's rejection of efforts to host the 2024 Republican National Convention in Music City.
Gov. Bill Lee signed the proposal into law a little less than an hour after the Senate voted to shrink Nashville's 40-member council. The Republican didn't issue a statement or warning, but he had previously said that generally he supported council sizes smaller than Nashville's.
The move drew an immediate outcry and is expected to spark legal challenges. Nashville Mayor John Cooper's administration and others say the change will throw this year's council elections into chaos, spurring the need to redraw districts after more than 40 candidates already launched campaigns.
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“This attack on the Constitutional rights of Metro and the people who live here is very dangerous. It serves the interests of no one," said Wally Dietz, Nashville's law director.
“We hope cooler heads will prevail, but in the event they do not, we are prepared to vigorously defend the constitutional rights of our city and its residents," he said in a statement.
The law, which only applies to city or city-county governments, would cut Nashville's combined council to 20 people.
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