NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A controversial bill that would have renamed the Nashville airport after President Donald Trump is dead for the year — at least for now.
HB 217 — heralded by Rep. Todd Warner — got taken off notice early in the legislative process in the Name and Designating Committee. It would have cost taxpayers $10 million to rename Nashville International Airport after the president. Metro taxpayers would have footed the bill, not the state.
The Republican Senate components to block the bill from happening were also taken off notice by Sen. Todd Gardenhire and Rep. Kevin Raper. Their bill — HB 434/SB 214 — would have prevented any public property in the state from being renamed for a public official who was a convicted felon or still currently in office. Instead, the bill would have required that any property be renamed for that person after being out of office for two years.
Rep. Warner said he took the bill off notice because he wanted to dig more into why the costs would be so high.
"I think he’s the second president since maybe Grover Cleveland back in the 1880s, to serve nonconcurring terms," Warner said. "I want to dig a little bit more into that and understand why it’s such a big fiscal note on it. Absolutely, I’m not done with it. I’d like to see an airport named after him in every state."
Tensions are already fraught with Tennessee lawmakers and the Metro Nashville government over the airport. In November, the Tennessee Court of Appeals heard the state argue back over who has leadership over the airport. Back in 2023, Nashville took the state to court about the airport authority after the legislature made a law to dissolve Metro Nashville's power over the board.
However, Nashville sued and the court reinstated the previous board. The state appealed that decision soon after.
It's not clear when the Tennessee Court of Appeals will make its opinion from the appeal by the state.
Statement from the airport
The Nashville International Airport is a globally recognized brand with a reputation that extends across the world. Our airport’s brand and continued success have earned us a place among the fastest-growing airports, attracting significant increases in both domestic and international air service. We have a bright future as the Nashville International Airport, and we remain focused on providing exceptional travel experiences for our community and our passengers.
This is a developing story. We will update more after we talk to lawmakers.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email us at emily.west@newschannel5.com or chris.davis@newschannel5.com.
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