Council Watch
🏛 Metro Council preview · TDOT sued over Choice Lanes partnerships · Bowling breaks ranks by backing Hatley for governor · Much more!
Upcoming Pamphleteer Activities We’re gearing up for this tomorrow's speaker event as the conversation around how the government should posture itself towards AI advances. If you want a taste of the conversation, be sure to get a ticket to our event with James Poulos this Wednesday. (Buy Tickets)
Big Council Watch Update. Our council tracking tool is no longer just a campaign finance scorecard. Follow your councilmember, and we'll tell you what they actually do. (Take a look)
Like what we do? Forward us to a friend.
A few key pieces of legislation to look out for during tonight’s Metro Council meeting.
From Megan Podsiedlik
Aside from the legislation to establish Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s small business grant programs, which is on its final reading during tonight’s meeting, here are five bills on second reading to look out for.
No Right on Red The Metro Council has already narrowed the scope of Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda's controversial legislation to allow No Turn on Red at downtown intersections. The bill could also potentially place signs at additional locations following further review of another 386 additional intersections over the next nine months. A community meeting was held on September 22 to hear local concerns about the proposal, with Councilmembers Sepulveda and Jacob Kupin, NDOT, and MNPD in attendance.
Kupin, whose district will be the most impacted by the legislation, has submitted two amendments that would change which intersections get no-turn-on-red restrictions if supported by the council. Amendment 1 would narrow the application to crash-prone locations, while Amendment 2 expands the list as a whole. Amendment 3 by Councilmember Joy Styles would delay implementation for one year and requires additional safety reporting. Amendment 4 by Councilmember Bob Nash would expand the program beyond the Urban Services District and allow restrictions near schools during certain hours.
East Bank Redevelopment Plan This legislation extends the East Bank Redevelopment Plan through December 31, 2031, giving Metro additional time to implement and refine its long-term vision for the area. The extension also gives Metro more time to consider how the area could transition toward a Transit Oriented Redevelopment District.
Transportation Impact Tool This bill would direct the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure to develop a tool for evaluating the cumulative transportation impacts of development and rezonings. If implemented, it could influence future development decisions and how Metro identifies and prioritizes transportation investments.
Procedural Change This legislation addresses how Metro distinguishes between an initial bond resolution and its broader capital spending plan. The distinction matters because Metro can have projects authorized for bond financing that subsequently change, are delayed, or no longer require the full amount originally contemplated. The bill would provide greater flexibility in managing those capital funds and reallocating money among projects without having to go through the same initial-resolution process once again.
Permanent Supportive Housing Strategic Plan This bill would approve a contract with Focus Strategies to create a Permanent Supportive Housing Strategic Plan for Nashville. The plan would assess housing needs, existing capacity, funding sources, and stakeholder input. It would also develop strategies for implementing and expanding permanent supportive housing in Nashville.
You can follow along with the Pamphleteer’s user-friendly Council Watch Agenda starting at 6:30 p.m. tonight.
✹ THE LIMITS OF MASTERY
The Limits of Mastery with James Poulos As AI grows more powerful, the question is no longer just what machines can do, but whether human beings still know how to govern themselves. James Poulos argues that our technological age is forcing an older question back into view: What does real self-mastery require? Join us Wednesday, October 7 for a conversation on AI, Dostoevsky, human agency, and the spiritual stakes of technological power.
This event benefits The Pamphleteer, Nashville and is priced with that in mind. Bard-level subscribers receive free, privileged admittance.
🧊 ICE in Nashville, By the Numbers ICE arrests in Davidson County have climbed through Trump's second term. In May 2025, during Operation Flood the Zone, ICE arrested 74 people in a single day. We charted three and a half years of ICE records from the Deportation Data Project:
- 2,276 people arrested in Nashville have been deported since January 2023.
- 76% of people arrested here since January 2025 have already been deported.
- 15% of all deportations of people arrested in Tennessee were people arrested in Davidson County, more than any other county.
The page also covers the 47 countries those people were deported to, how long they'd lived in the U.S., and a county-by-county map of the state. (See all the charts)
HEADLINES
- 🗳️ Bowling breaks Republican ranks by backing independent gubernatorial candidate. Republican state Senator Janice Bowling of Tullahoma has endorsed independent gubernatorial candidate David Hatley instead of Republican nominee Marsha Blackburn, saying constituents encouraged her to meet with Hatley and that she was impressed after doing so. The move puts Bowling at odds with the Tennessee Republican Party, which could potentially remove her from its Senate caucus or prevent her from seeking the GOP nomination in 2028. (TNJ)
- 🚧 TDOT sued over $9.2B “Choice Lanes” records. A lawsuit is seeking records from TDOT related to the $9.2 billion I-24 Southeast Choice Lanes project, amid questions about how the massive public-private partnership was awarded and whether relationships involving the winning consortium and former Lee administration officials warrant greater scrutiny. The project is Tennessee’s largest transportation investment and involves a 50-year concession. Lawmakers have already sought an independent investigation into the procurement process. (WKRN)
- 🚇 Boring Co. launching third digging machine. The Boring Company says Prufrock-MB3 will launch in late October, joining the two machines already tunneling beneath Nashville. The company is preparing a new launch site with its own power, safety, operations, chilled-water, and compressed-air systems, with the goal of having four tunnel-boring machines operating before the end of 2026. (Boring Co.)
✹ PAMPHLETEER TOOLS
Pamphleteer Tools Council Watch tells you who funds your councilmember and how they vote. The Property Tax Calculator tells you what that cost you.
DEVELOPMENT
- Charlotte-based developer seeks seven-story mixed-use building to sit next to its Chamberlain House (Post)
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here.
📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
👨🏻🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.
TONIGHT
🎸 Amyl and the Sniffers @ The Truth, 7p, $50, Info
🪕 Troubadour Blue @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info
🪕 Fruition @ 3rd and Lindsey, 7:30p, $18.44, Info
🎸 Hooked @ The Eighth Room, 6:30p, Free, Info
+ lively open mic competition with rotating guest panel
🎸 Twang Tuesday @ Acme Feed & Seed, 7p, Free, Info
🎸 Honky Tonk Tuesday @ Eastside Bowl, 8p, $10, Info
+ two-step lessons @ 7p, The Cowpokes @ 8p
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
The Pamphleteer
The Pamphleteer
The Pamphleteer
The Pamphleteer
Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.