Nearly $700K Spent On Nashville Vs Tennessee Lawsuits Over Laws

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The Center Square [By Jon Styf] –

Nashville spent nearly $700,000 out of pocket on four lawsuits challenging state laws this year along with 1,645 hours of the department’s time, according to a new report from The Tennessean.

The $682,949 in out-of-pocket expenses included paying for outside counsel, expert witnesses, filing fees and court reporters, the newspaper said.

The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office showed it spent $2,096.08 for court reporters, transcripts and filing fees for the four lawsuits but told the newspaper that it does not track the specific number of hours its attorneys spent on specific cases.

The first law is set to reduce the size of Metro Nashville’s council from 40 to 20 members. It was blocked for the most recent election but set to become law in 2027.

The second was a law intended to stop Nashville’s super-majority requirement for demolition at the Fairgrounds Speedway. The bill was later blocked by a three-judge panel.

A third law changing who had the power to nominate members of the Nashville Airport Authority board was also blocked. The bill intended to move authority for nominees from Nashville’s mayor to an eight-member board with two appointees each for the mayor, governor, House speaker and Senate speaker is unconstitutional and that new board is now vacated.

A similar bill changing appointments for Nashvile’s Metropolitan Sports Authority is currently blocked through a temporary restraining order, the paper reported.

About the Author: Jon Styf, The Center Square Staff Reporter – Jon Styf is an award-winning editor and reporter who has worked in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan in local newsrooms over the past 20 years, working for Shaw Media, Hearst and several other companies. Follow Jon on Twitter @JonStyf.