All Those Crazy Things They Say
🏛️ Last night at the Metro Council · Recall season · Vandy students march against fascism · Much more!
Good afternoon, everyone. Last night's council meeting was heavy on the grandstanding.... The recall of CM Horton in District 20 captures citywide anxiety about "zombie" housing policy... O'Connell puts your money to work... And much more!
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The Metro Council wasted time on resolutions at last night's meeting
From Megan Podsiedlik
Due to a deferral, the council didn’t have an epic battle over the legislation to create two new zoning districts during last night’s meeting. A few mildly controversial bills, such as the creation of separate regulations for sightseeing buses and party buses and a lease agreement allowing Dolly Parton to use Metro park land for a gift shop, both passed on final reading. Instead, the highlight of the evening was the juxtaposition between two resolutions: one related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and another condemning political violence in all forms.
The meeting kicked off with a colorful public comment period during which the majority of speakers mentioned Councilmember Ginny Welsch’s resolution denouncing “all acts of the U.S. Government and the State of Israel that contribute to a continuation of the genocide of the Palestinian people.” When it finally came to the floor for discussion among council members, Welsch decided to withdraw the legislation with a brief explanation.
“I withdraw this resolution today and hope that the cease fire reached today will bring an end to the horrors of the war in Gaza,” Welsch stated, before hopping onto her soapbox—a move her colleagues didn’t appreciate. The sponsor was eventually cut short while explaining how evil manifests and flourishes in the world.
“The rules call for an explanation of the withdrawal,” Councilmember Tom Cash pointed out. “And I really feel like this is going beyond that.” Both he and Councilmember Jason Spain cited the council rule regarding withdrawal. As a result, Vice Mayor Angie Henderson asked Welsch to “wrap it up,” preventing her from taking further advantage of the fact that she would be the only one allowed to speak on the resolution topic.
Where Welsch’s resolution caused divisiveness with its explicit language asking the council to condemn specific geopolitical topics, a resolution more inclusively condemning political violence of all kinds passed with a wide range of bipartisan sponsors. During discussion, it suddenly dawned on Councilmember Zulfat Suara that all these types of resolutions may be more performative than useful.
“This is a good resolution, but unfortunately, it's just words,” said Suara. “What I have seen oftentimes is that we say things to make ourselves feel better, but we don't follow it with action. Political violence is bad—should never happen, but there are factors that lead to it that even some of us may not know that we're contributing to.”
Suara proceeded to use the rest of her time encouraging council members to listen to Palestinian advocates and not just “stand up for one group.” She also said that the body could pass more than just “fluff” and “be more than just words” by… using their words to condemn things more consistently. Seems she lost her own thread.
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🖋️ Edited by Megan Podsiedlik and Davis Hunt.
📝 It's a Recall Y'all The petitioning effort in District 20 to recall Councilmember Rollin Horton is well underway. Metro changed the rules on how long groups have to gather signatures in 2022 after the property tax repeal effort failed, and thus, the clock is ticking and there are many signatures to gather. The group has until the end of this month to gather nearly 2,500 signatures.
The Voices of District 20 is organizing the ouster. In a release, the group lists four reasons as grounds for Horton's removal:
- Failure to provide adequate notification to residents about Bills regarding the Urban Design Overlay (UDO) and the mass commercial rezoning of the Nations neighborhood
- Failure to represent the will of his constituents, disregarding community input in favor of developer interests.
- Failure to respond to emails, texts and phone calls from residents in a timely manner - or at all - and when responding, obfuscating the issues rather than addressing concerns.
- Failure to hold Community Meetings or maintain regular dialogue with those he represents.
The pushback against Horton’s Nation upzoning bill captures well the anxiety in neighborhoods across Nashville about the city’s efforts to accommodate “more housing,” and in theory, make it more affordable as a result.
Chris Remke, who has emerged as the strongest voice against these efforts, has made a strong case that the city’s efforts, however well-intentioned, are unlikely to have the desired effect. Yesterday, we published his criticism of the city’s population estimates undergirding the panicked legislative efforts to upzone individual lots across the county.
🪙 Your “Half Penny” This morning, Mayor Freddie O’Connell announced over $100 million in taxpayer-funded Choose How You Move projects. The next stage of investments includes $31.4 million for 17 sidewalk projects in over 10 neighborhoods, $32.4 million for smart signals at 115 intersections and fiber network expansion, $23.6 million for WeGo transit improvements like new buses and shelters, and $13.4 million for safety upgrades, including a new Transit Safety Division. An additional $3.2 million will go towards redesigning key corridors and a curbside bus lane pilot on West End Avenue.
🎓 Preventing the Fascist Takeover of Higher Edu Vanderbilt professors and students marched across campus Wednesday morning in protest against President Donald Trump’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” Last week, Vandy was among nine universities asked to sign on to the terms in the compact, which ensure benefits and federal grants in exchange for their participation.
Some of the requests made by the administration include a cap on international undergraduate enrollment, a ban on incorporating race or sex in hiring decisions, a tuition freeze for five years, and a reduction in administrative costs. The cohort made their way to Kirkland Hall to deliver the Vanderbilt Graduate Workers United petition, which referred to the compact as a “fascist takeover.” According to the Vanderbilt Hustler, it was signed by over 1,000 Vanderbilt students, staff, faculty, and alumni.
HEADLINES
- 📱 New legislation from Utah Sen. Mike Lee and Michigan Rep. John James would give parents more control over what their children can download from app stores. The push comes as families grow increasingly frustrated with Silicon Valley’s tight hold on the digital lives of minors—and with Washington’s slow pace in doing anything about it. The big question for Tennesseans, will Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who has focused heavily on digital and tech reforms, support this new legislation.
- 🚨 Metro Police have ruled the death of 74-year-old Harriet Edwards in her North Nashville home a homicide, determining she was strangled and suffered head trauma sometime Friday afternoon between 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- 🏎️ A Metro Legal review recommends a hearing on an ethics complaint against Jasper Hendricks, chair of the Fair Board, over allegations he accepted free NASCAR gala tickets, leaked a confidential deal, and consulted with Bristol Motor Speedway officials — though not all accusations are thought to violate the city’s code.
- 🛩️ Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell has tabled his nominee for the airport board after questions arose about her residency and piloting credentials, leaving several key seats unfilled and stirring uncertainty over the authority’s governance.
DEVELOPMENT-ish
- Alternator manufacturer announces 200-job, $52.4M expansion in Henderson Co. (Lookout)
- HealthStream acquires Brentwood technology firm for $17 million (NBJ)
- Central Church of Christ site prepped for sale following settlement of Amy Grant lawsuit (NBJ)
- The Union Station Hotel debuts new bar, event venue as it turns 125 (NBJ)
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here.
📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
👨🏻🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.
TONIGHT
🎸 Franz Ferdinand @ Cannery Hall, 8p, $75+, Info
🎸 Tyler Childers @ GEODIS Park, $66+, 7p, Info
🎸 The Prine Family Presents: You Got Gold @ Ryman Auditorium, 7p, $75+, Info
🎸 Oracle Sisters @ The Blue Room, 7p, $28.60, Info
🪕 The Cowpokes @ Acme Feed & Seed, 12p, Free, Info
🍀 Live Irish Music @ McNamara’s Irish Pub, 6p, Free, Info
🎸 Kelley’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
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Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik and Camelia Brennan.