NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — At least four bills passed the House on Thursday that would change the makeup of some operations in Nashville.
The Republican supermajority voted for the passage of these bills, while Democrats were against them, particularly legislators that represent Davidson County. These decisions were made on one of the last days of the 2023 general session. Democratic lawmakers have said throughout this session they felt these bills were payback for the Metro Council not agreeing to host the Republican National Convention for the next presidential cycle.
The biggest bill might have been the makeup of the airport authority, which oversees BNA-Nashville International Airport. The board will be primarily appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and house speaker versus the Nashville mayor. This shift has created some questions from the Federal Aviation Administration, according to a letter obtained by NewsChannel 5. Until early April, the FAA wasn't even aware this was a bill.
Not shortly behind it came a bill that would abolish community oversight boards, or COBs, and instead give local government the power to create a police advisory and review committees to make recommendations for complaints against officers. Unlike community oversight board members, this bill says members will not independently review citizen complaints and instead hand them over to an internal affairs police unit. This is a stark difference to how the boards are set up now in Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville. While the boards were created in the last five years in Chattanooga and Nashville, Memphis has had a board since 1994, with Knoxville having one since 1994.
The issue of money from the Music City Center also came forth in a bill that would dictate how Metro can use extra hotel/motel tax money generated from the building. This new bill would only allow for it to pay for the debt of the building, not other items in the Metro Nashville general budget.
Though smaller, another bill passed that would create a monuments commission, and that would dictate changing the names of streets. In Forrest Hills, for example, some residents wanted to change their addresses to relinquish the names of any Confederate symbolism. Those efforts would now have to go through this new commission.
The House will resume taking up the rest of the calendar on what should be the last day of session on Friday at 8:30 a.m.
