Hold My Wooden Spoon

Good afternoon, everyone. Preview of tonight's Metro Council agenda... Nashville to host Superbowl LXIV in 2030... Three challenges to TN’s redistricting map consolidated into one case... And much more!

New TN U.S. Congressional District lookup Use your address to find your new district here.

The Undoing of the West Join us this Thursday, May 21st, for a discussion with Vauban Books and writer Nathan Pinkoski for a discussion about French writer Jean Raspail's novel The Camp of Saints. (Buy Ticket)

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Tonight, the council will be slapping a few wrists and tying up some loose ends before diving into budget season.

From Megan Podsiedlik

NES Last meeting, members deferred the resolution denouncing the performance and leadership of the Electric Power Board. The legislation, which expresses that the body “has lost confidence in the ability of the Electric Power Board to operate and supervise Nashville Electric Service,” is back on tonight’s docket.

Councilmember Burkley Allen also wants NES to rethink their aggressive vegetation management. Nashville residents have been pushing back against aggressive tree trimming following this year’s ice storm. The canopy-loving council member is sponsoring a resolution urging officials to stop the slaughter until a study of the effectiveness of the new tree-trimming policy is conducted.

Reprimanding the state Several members filed a resolution “denouncing the Tennessee General Assembly for enacting a redistricting plan that divides and dilutes congressional representation of residents of Memphis and Shelby County.”

Many of the same sponsors also filed a resolution “denouncing the State of Tennessee’s attempted hostile takeover of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority.”

The council will also be voting to appoint two new members to the Airport Authority. Mayor O’Connell nominated the additions and hopes his new appointees will stand against the new legislation that ousts Metro’s board and puts the state in control of the Authority.

Groceries Members will vote on the mayor’s resolution to reduce the local sales tax on groceries. According to a press release distributed by the mayor’s office, “the tax reduction is expected to save the average Nashville family of four $72 per year on their groceries.” For comparison, the half-cent sales tax funding O’Connell’s Choose How You Move plan costs the average Nashville family approximately $70-$120 annually.

Home businesses Councilmember Sean Parker has a bill on final reading that could impact how people operate their home businesses. In 2020, Nashville experienced a massive surge in home-based businesses accelerated by pandemic lockdowns, remote work trends, and a Metro Council ordinance that permanently loosened zoning restrictions for at-home entrepreneurs.

Parker’s proposed legislation would set up new restrictions on small-scale home businesses aimed at preventing them from turning residential neighborhoods into commercial zones. It also adds significant bureaucratic oversight, narrowly defines the types of businesses allowed, and cracks down on anything that could generate traffic, noise, parking issues, or change a neighborhood’s character.

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What Horrors We Wrought In 1973, French writer Jean Raspail published one of the most controversial novels of the 20th century. His novel, The Camp of Saints, has been consistently censored throughout its history.

Vauban Books recently published a new translation of the French story, accompanied by a lucid introduction by writer Nathan Pinkoski. Join us as we discuss the legacy of this controversial novel and what it says about the West.

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This event is for the benefit of The Pamphleteer, Nashville, and priced with that in mind. Bard-level subscribers receive free admittance.

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✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH

New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your council member, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)

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HEADLINES

🏈 Nashville to host Super Bowl LXIV in 2030 at the new Nissan Stadium. This decision marks the city's first Super Bowl, following strong past events like the 2019 NFL Draft, and is expected to showcase Music City's unique blend of music, sports, culture, and hospitality while driving significant economic impact. (TN Titans)
🗺 Three federal challenges to TN’s redistricting map consolidated into one case. A federal judge consolidated three lawsuits challenging Tennessee’s newly redrawn congressional maps, which split Memphis and Shelby County into three districts. The cases, brought by groups including the ACLU, NAACP, League of Women Voters, Democratic candidates, and voters, allege racial discrimination, partisan manipulation, and voter disenfranchisement. The consolidated case will be heard by a three-judge panel under Chief U.S. District Judge William Campbell Jr. (a Trump appointee), and some plaintiffs seek to block the maps for the 2026 elections. (Lookout)
⚖️ Skrmetti picks TN's new solicitor general. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti promoted Madeline Clark to solicitor general, who will succeed Matt Rice starting in June. Skrmetti praised Clark’s credentials, including clerkships for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Amy Coney Barrett, as well as for former 11th Circuit Judge William Pryor Jr., calling her exactly the kind of lawyer needed to represent Tennessee. (TNJ)
🍻 New poll tests Nashvillians' views of downtown safety and cleanliness. The survey, conducted ahead of Metro Council budget scrutiny of the Central Business Improvement District (CBID), showed support for the Partnership’s clean and safe ambassadors with mixed views on law enforcement presence. Of those polled, 33 percent said downtown’s public spaces are cleaner than their own neighborhoods, and 53 percent feel safe most or all of the time downtown, while 43 percent feel unsafe at least occasionally. (Axios)