Court blocks Tennessee GOP’s 'unprecedent disenfranchisement' of Nashville voters

31 July 2024

In March 2023, Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed into law Tennessee House Bill 48, which reduced the size of the Nashville Metro Council from 40 to 20 members.

But critics of HB 48 slammed it as a partisan power grab. Two lawsuits were filed, and now, according to Democracy Docket, a state court has blocked it indefinitely.

This means that the number of Nashville Metro Council members will remain at 40 — not be reduced by half. The court, in its July 29 ruling, attacked HB 48 as "an unprecedented disenfranchisement of the voters of Metro Nashville."

Democracy Docket's Madeleine Greenberg explains, "The Metro Council is the legislative authority of both Nashville, the state's most populous city, and Davidson County, one of the state's most diverse counties that surrounds Music City. The council is incredibly diverse and is the third largest local council just behind New York City and Chicago."

According to Greenberg, Republicans in the Tennessee State Legislature were "trying to reduce the political power of some of the state's most diverse voices by shrinking" the Nashville Metro Council.

"Last year," Greenberg notes, "a Tennessee court temporarily blocked portions of the law while the lawsuit continued, writing that the law 'results in upheaval of the election process' and risked confusion for voters. Now, the court has concluded the law must remain blocked for violating local law."

Greenberg adds, "This decision is a victory for Music City voters who will not have their representation slashed in half as a result of a Republican power grab."

Read Democracy Docket's full article at this link.

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