NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Nashville v. The State of Tennessee has been a common theme this Summer, with Nashville suing the state no fewer than three times for passing laws that Nashville says specifically target the state's largest city, including a law to slash Metro Council seats from 40 to 20.
But what about Nashville's License Plate Reader Program?
Metro Council could vote as early as next week to make Nashville's License Plate Reader program permanent, but a top Republican in the state legislature is signaling perhaps yet another fight over who gets to decide what happens in Nashville.
It's unclear whether Metro Council will vote to make the LPR program permanent after the trial period expired last month, especially after concerns from the Community Oversight Board that the readers may target some of the poorest and most racially diverse neighborhoods in Nashville.
But now, Republican House Majority Leader William Lamberth says if Nashville doesn't approve the full LPR program, the state may step in again, telling NewsChannel 5 in a statement:
"LPRs are important law enforcement tools that help save lives and solve crimes. I would hope that any city would seriously consider using them to improve the safety of their community. If for some reason, cities do not take advantage of this life-saving technology, then we will probably reevaluate whether this is a local decision to be made there."
Metro Police says the LPRs are placed in high crime areas, targeting license plates, not people.
But the comment from close to the top of the state legislature may add a new dimension to the discussion among Nashville's leaders.
