State appeals Nashville airport authority ruling that kept mayor's board in place
The state of Tennessee will appeal a court ruling that ousted the Metro Nashville Airport Authority's new state-appointed board, a freshly filed notice indicates.
A panel of three Tennessee judges ruled in favor of Metro Nashville in the city's lawsuit challenging a new state law on Oct. 31, notching a win for the city's ongoing legal battle to maintain local control. The state's filed its notice of appeal Wednesday afternoon, just one day before the 30-day statutory deadline to file an appeal expires.
Gov. Bill Lee signed a law in May that stripped Metro's existing mayor-appointed and Metro Council-approved Airport Authority board, giving state officials authority to appoint six of the board's eight seats. The law also gave the board expanded power over zoning decisions in the majority of Davidson County.
The Tennessee Attorney General's Office, which represents the state in lawsuits, said it looks forward to litigating the appeal "to a clear and decisive resolution so airport leadership can focus on serving our community and our visitors,” according to a statement from Tim Meads, the office's press secretary.
Metro Law Director Wally Dietz said "the unanimous opinion of the three-judge panel was well reasoned."
"I am confident it will be affirmed on appeal," Dietz said in a statement.
The Metro Nashville Airport Authority oversees business at the Nashville International and John C. Tune airports.
The law was written in a way that it applied only to Davidson County. Other major Tennessee cities would have to significantly expand their populations and consolidate their government to fall under the law's provisions. Metro attorneys argued that violated a clause in the Tennessee Constitution that prevents the state legislature from enacting laws that impact the governance of only a particular city or county without local voter approval.
The original board was reinstated at the end of October under the panel's ruling.
The state chose not to appeal a ruling that struck down a law concerning voting thresholds for Nashville's Fairgrounds Speedway in September.
The state also did not appeal an injunction that blocked the application of a law that would have required Nashville to cut its council in half before August's local elections. The injunction allowed Nashville to retain its 40-member council as the court case proceeds.
Metro's most recent lawsuit against the state challenging a law allowing state officials to appoint members to Metro Nashville's Sports Authority Board is ongoing. A three-judge panel heard arguments Wednesday morning over whether to issue an injunction blocking the law before it goes into effect on Jan. 1.
Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EvanMealins
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville airport authority lawsuit: State appeals ruling
