Metro Council could be downsized following latest appeals court ruling
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A three-judge panel in the state's Court of Appeals found a law that would cut the size of Metro Council in half is, in fact, constitutional.
In 2023, the state legislature passed House Bill 48, which limited the number of metropolitan councilmembers to 20. The law was seen as retribution against Metro Council's decision not to support hosting the 2024 Republican National Convention.
JULY 2024: State law reducing Metro Council size ruled unconstitutional
Last July, a Nashville court ruled that the law violated the Local Legislation Clause of the Home Rule Amendment to the state constitution. Mayor Freddie O'Connell and Metro Councilmembers celebrated the decision. The ruling prevented the law from going into effect.
However, a three-judge panel in the state's Court of Appeals found the law to be constitutional and reversed the lower court ruling, allowing it to go into effect.
'At its most fundamental level, this case represents a power struggle between State government and local government,' Tuesday's majority ruling reads, in part.
'I applaud the Court's decision today affirming the constitutionality of the Small Government Efficiency Act,' Rep. William Lamberth (R-Portland) said in a social media post. 'This action reins in excessive government growth while ensuring local municipalities across the Volunteer State remain accountable and responsive to their constituents. Republicans will continue to cut waste at all levels of government.'
Nashville could appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court.
'We are understandably disappointed and concerned about the ruling's implications on local sovereignty. But we are also encouraged by Judge Armstrong's compelling dissent,' Allison Bussell with Metro Legal told News 2 in a statement. 'We are digesting the ruling and considering our options.'
⏩
I am grateful to the Metro Department of Law for their expert argument before the Court of Appeals in March of this year to uphold the Charter of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County on behalf of the voters and residents of Metro Nashville.
Metro Nashville was first in the nation to fully consolidate a city and a county government, and in so doing, a 40-member, highly representative, local legislative branch was created by the voters. I am disappointed that today's Court of Appeals decision failed to respect the will of our voters.
The Home Rule Amendment of the Tennessee Constitution, in part, stands for the proposition that the size of the Metro Council is a decision for the voters of Metro Nashville. The General Assembly's 2023 Small Government Efficiency Act was advanced purportedly to address the 'efficiency & effectiveness' of Nashville's legislative branch. For the last 60 years, this 40-member Council has capably and effectively served the interests of our constituents, who today number some 715,000. Over the course of this recent term, this Council has delivered numerous efficiency improvements, and we will continue to represent all Nashvillians to the best of our ability.
I appreciate the dissenting opinion of Judge Armstrong and look forward to discussing our next steps with Metro's Department of Law.
Statement from Vice Mayor Angie E. Henderson
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Leaders speak on ruling that cuts Metro Council in half
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — On Tuesday, the state Court of Appeals found 'the Small Government Efficiency Act' constitutional and House Majority Leader William Lamberth applauded the decision. In 2023, the state legislature passed House Bill 48, which limited the number of metropolitan councilmembers to 20. The law was seen as retribution against Metro Council's decision not to support hosting the 2024 Republican National Convention. Last July, a Nashville court ruled that the law violated the Local Legislation Clause of the Home Rule Amendment to the state constitution. Mayor Freddie O'Connell and Metro Councilmembers celebrated the decision. The ruling prevented the law from going into effect. However, a three-judge panel in the state's Court of Appeals found the law to be constitutional and reversed the lower court ruling, allowing it to go into effect. PREVIOUS: Metro Council could be downsized following latest appeals court ruling Lamberth, who sponsored the House version of the law, added that Republicans would 'continue to cut waste at all levels of government' in a social media post Tuesday. Senator Bo Watson (R-Hixson) also applauded the ruling. '[The] ruling is a win for efficient and effective governing,' Watson said in a statement provided to News 2. 'The law places restrictions on the size of metro government councils and is intended to improve government efficiency – a key focus of conservatives in the Tennessee General Assembly. The Court of Appeals affirmed what we have always believed, that the legislature constitutionally has the authority and responsibility to ensure government continues to best serve Tennesseans.' News 2 spoke with attorney Brandon Smith, currently a partner at Holtzman Vogel and the former chief of staff for Tennessee Attorney General Johnathan Skrmetti, about the decision — and he said he agrees. 'When a city becomes ungovernable and turns to taxpayers for bailouts, someone has to put the brakes on,' Smith said. 'The efficiency found from a smaller council — Nashville's council is currently the third largest in the country, just behind Chicago and New York, and it's been this size since the county was officially consolidated in the early 60s. It's time for some needed change.' As of publication, Metro Council has 35 district members and five at-large members, which boils down to each district representing roughly 20,000 people. Some worry about what cutting that representation in half would look like — especially when considering largely-minority areas. 'I really think it's going to hurt those communities, but it's going to hurt all communities because you're going to have districts that are going to be combined,' Antoinette Lee, Metro Councilmember for District 33, told News 2. 'To me, a plus for Metro — you did not have to be rich or a lawyer or be well-endowed financially to be on the Council because you could work your regular job and you can do this. That is going to be very challenging now with huge areas.' 'Antioch bows to no council member': Some constituents call for Metro Councilmember's resignation following immigration remarks As of publication, Metro Councilmembers get paid $25,000 dollars each year. This move could mean having to pay council members to go full-time to cover larger districts. Vice Mayor Angie Henderson said the math all boils down to how many of the 20 council members will be 'at large.' 'Why this bill was filed at the state and kind of the process that we're going through — I personally feel that the kind of call for efficiency and effectiveness was somewhat specious,' Henderson told News 2. 'I do think it was targeted legislation and that we can't just say by virtue of our size that that's inherently a bad thing.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tennessee hemp retailer uprooting store over new legislation
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Governor Bill Lee recently signed legislation to regulate the hemp industry, which some retailers say will force them out of the state or put them out of business. The bill, which passed last legislative session, essentially bans smokable hemp flower in Tennessee, the majority of what Ben Whitelaw, owner of The Flower Shop in Chattanooga, sells. 'They've banned CBD hemp. That's what they've done. All of it. THCA and CBD hemp. It's all going to be gone,' Whitelaw said. The bill includes several provisions, including a ban on .3% THCA, which lawmakers argue turns into THC when burned: the same chemical in marijuana that gets the user high. 'We were all told when we voted for hemp that, well, it's the nonintoxicating cousin to marijuana. You don't have to worry about people getting high. Well, y'all, that horse has left the barn,' House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) said. Lawmakers who backed the bill have long described the hemp industry as 'the Wild West,' due to the lack of regulation. They argued new rules will protect consumers so they know what products they're purchasing. However, Whitelaw believes the bill was drafted for a different reason, partially because the Alcoholic Beverage Commission (ABC) will become the regulating agency of the hemp industry under the legislation. 'This bill was brought about to destroy the infrastructure we had created and hand the scraps to the alcohol industry so they could make money off the really light strength drinks and edibles that are still allowed under this bill.' Whitelaw told News 2 the majority of the products he sells will soon be banned. He plans to use his retirement fund to close down his store and move it to North Carolina. 'We're going to try to move it to North Carolina, as close to the border as possible and continue to help residents of Tennessee if they wish to come and see us,' Whitelaw said. Hemp industry experts hope to sue the state over the legislation, but finding the money to pay the legal fees will likely be a challenge. ⏩ The bill is set to become law Jan. 1. 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Obituary: Col. Thomas Simonet helped lead I35W bridge collapse response — and umpire vintage ‘base ball'
U.S. Air Force retired Col. Thomas Simonet lived a life of service on a global, national and local level. During his 36-year tenure in the Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserves, Simonet served in places like Korea, England, Germany and Turkey. As the state's emergency preparedness liaison officer for the Air Force, Simonet spent a decade supporting Homeland Security efforts during major natural disasters or events including the Interstate 35W bridge collapse, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 Republican National Convention and the flooding of the Red River. Simonet, of Stillwater, also helped out close to home, serving on the boards of the Washington County Historical Society, the Minnesota Air National Guard Historical Foundation, Knights of Columbus Council 1632 and the Stillwater Veterans Memorial. Simonet died May 29, 2025, of complications related to pancreatic cancer at his house in the Croixwood neighborhood — the home where he grew up. He was 70. Simonet, who served as treasurer of the Washington County Historical Society, was instrumental in the society's efforts to create the Washington County Heritage Center, which opened in 2021, said Ryan Collins, who serves as the society's vice president. Simonet 'did a lot of the behind-the-scenes work to get Heritage Center ready to go,' said Collins, who also serves on the Stillwater City Council. 'There's no doubt in my mind that without Tom, it would not have happened.' Simonet, who spent 34 years with Norwest/Wells Fargo Bank before retiring in 2017 as a vice president for Institutional Retirement Trust Services, had a 'unique ability to negotiate without negotiating,' said Brent Peterson, the society's executive director. 'He was a guy who could steer a conversation in the right direction that would make everything good for everyone,' Peterson said. 'If it wasn't for Tom's financial leadership, the Washington County Heritage Center would not exist. The citizens of Washington County owe him a lot because of that. He truly was one of the finest people I've ever known.' Simonet was born and raised in Stillwater and graduated in 1972 from Stillwater High School, where he competed on the school's ski, cross-country and track teams. That same year, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, following in the footsteps of his older brother Jack, who was a a mechanic on C-124 Globemaster. 'He travelled the world,' Tom Simonet wrote in a self-published memoir. 'I received letters from Jack telling me of his adventures from Southeast Asia to Europe. He was stationed at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. To me, Hawaii was a distant and exotic land. … The draft was still in effect, and I wanted to go my direction and not have the government decide for me. I saw it as a good avenue to learn about myself and to learn a trade.' Woodbury City Council announces new city administrator Canadian wildfire smoke causes 'very unhealthy' conditions in American Midwest and reaches Europe Ramsey County Board gets feedback on projects to be funded by Riverview Corridor money Ground is broken for next phase projects at St. Paul's Highland Bridge New Bush Foundation Fellows include amputee, journalist, architect, more After being released from active service in 1976, he served in the Minnesota Air National Guard, 133rd Airlift Wing, in St. Paul, where he served as an aircraft mechanic and advanced in rank and positions of Flight Squadron, Wing Inspector General, and Group Commander with the Minnesota Air National Guard until 2004. In 1977, he married Susan Duden; she died in 2018. The couple had two daughters. In 2022, he married Sharon McNamara. Simonet received a bachelor's degree in business from Metropolitan State University in 1983. He later received a master's degree in business administration from American Military University in 2014. Simonet finished his military career in 2014 as the state's emergency preparedness liaison officer, coordinating with local and state emergency managers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Defense to aid local communities when their resources become overwhelmed. One of his proudest accomplishments was helping coordinate the dive crews searching for victims after the I-35W bridge collapsed in the Mississippi River on Aug. 1, 2007, said Lisa Sjogren, his oldest daughter. A few hours before the collapse, Simonet found himself stopped in traffic on the bridge as he drove from Roseville to meet former work colleagues in Minneapolis. 'Traffic was limited to a single lane as major construction occurred on the bridge deck,' he wrote in his memoir. 'I remember stopping in the southbound traffic lane, waiting to move forward. I felt the car bouncing as the northbound traffic was moving. I was relieved to get off that bridge.' Simonet and Sjogren were at Simonet's brother's house in St. Paul when they got the news. 'His phone just went insane,' said Sjogren, of Elk River. 'He literally set up a command where we were. He was calling saying, 'I need divers, I need this, I need these people. Do we have medical support? Where are we sending them to? We have trauma, right? What can we provide?' All this stuff that an emergency comes with.' Simonet helped coordinate the National Guard and Reserve flying units 'to offload the diver's equipment and transport it to a staging area near the fallen bridge,' he wrote. 'The Hennepin County Sheriff requested a group of specialized U.S. Navy divers. He had told the Secretary of Transportation that his divers were going into areas beyond their capabilities, and a group of professional deep water divers was needed to continue the search. They were still looking for the missing 13 victims. 'As I look back on that day, I always think of the school bus full of children that ended up just behind the semi-trailer where the driver lost his life,' he wrote. 'When the bridge collapsed, the school bus dropped. Once it was safe, all the children climbed over the guardrail. … They ended up during this disaster at the perfect spot. I am thankful they were not one second further in their travels. In my firm belief, the mighty hand of God helped on that terrible day.' Simonet received the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medal, among many other commendations. In 2024, he was recognized for his service and contributions by the Minnesota Air National Guard at the Flight of Honor Ceremony honoring those who have 'demonstrated outstanding professional achievement, service and heroism and have left a lasting impact on the organization.' March 25, 2025, was declared 'Tom Simonet Day' in Stillwater in recognition of his 'lifetime of community service.' One of Simonet's great joys was serving as the umpire for the St. Croix Base Ball Club, which plays by 1860 rules, Sjogren said. The 19th-century rules include: no wearing of gloves; no balls or strikes called by the umpire; foul balls are not considered strikes; and base runners can be tagged out if they overrun first base. As umpire, it was Simonet's job to start each inning by calling 'Striker to the line!' to bid the striker (batter) to the line – a line drawn through the center of the home base. 'He loved saying 'Striker to the line,' even when he got sick,' Sjogren said. 'When he couldn't be out at the base ball games, I took the phone and stuck the phone by the players, and then my dad just yelled into the phone, 'Striker to the line!'' Simonet also loved playing cribbage, boating on the St. Croix River and outsmarting claw machines. Woodbury City Council announces new city administrator 'Felt as though they were going to kill me,' Mahtomedi man beaten and robbed of casino winnings says in court New Bush Foundation Fellows include amputee, journalist, architect, more Air quality alert extended to noon Wednesday throughout Minnesota New MN measles cases confirmed, including Dakota County child who had not traveled 'He was the master of the claw machine that you would see at places like Perkins restaurants,' said Sarah Sederstrom, his youngest daughter. 'He had master-level precision, and he always won. Anytime he did win, he'd give the prize to a kid nearby.' 'I am convinced he was a surgeon in a previous life because of his precision with those things,' Sjogren said. In addition to his wife and daughters, Simonet is survived by two grandsons, a stepdaughter and two step-grandchildren. Mass of Christian burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Stillwater, with visitation from 4-8 p.m. Sunday at Simonet Funeral Home in Stillwater.
