No temporary injunction for law changing Nashville’s airport board
A three-judge panel on Monday denied a motion for a temporary restraining order against a new law changing the board membership of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority.
The new new law signed into law on May 19 have the governors and the speakers of the House and Senate two appointment each, while leaving two to the Nashville mayor. Previously the mayor named all the members of the board. The judges agreed with the state that the city failed to act with “reasonable promptness” by waiting more than three weeks to file the lawsuit. Had the case been filed earlier, the judges said they could have considered injunctive relief before the new board members were seated.
But the case is far for from over.
“The Court cautions the parties as well as the public that nothing in this order should be construed as indicative of our view of the merits of Metro’s constitutional claims,” according to the order by Chancellor Anne Martin of Nashville, Circuit Judge Mark Hayes of Dyersburg, and Criminal Court Judge Zach Walden of Jacksboro.
Nashville government, airport bond ratings upgraded as lawmakers take aim at both
Bond rating agencies are upgrading their outlook on Nashville and its airport even as state lawmakers take aim at both in the purported interest of improving their governance.
Kroll Rating Agency last week upgraded the city of Nashville from AA to AA+, one step below a perfect AAA rating. Meanwhile, Standard & Poor’s raised its long-term and underlying rating for the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority from A+ to AA-, with a stable financial outlook.
Republican lawmakers are mulling bills to cut the size of the Metro Nashville Council from 40 voting members to 20 and replace mayoral appointments to the Airport Authority with picks by the governor and the House and Senate speakers. Separate measures would limit how Nashville could spend privilege taxes collected at the city’s convention center and take over appointments to the city’s sports authority.
