Rumors at Sundown
🌆 Drama brews as the sun sets on General Assembly · TN Teens sue Elon Musk · Japan opposes TN bill · Much more!
Good afternoon, everyone. A look at some drama brewing in the TN General Assembly as the end of session draws near... TN Teens sue Elon Musk's Grok, xAI... Japanese government opposes TN bill... And much more!
The Battle for Nashville's Soul Join us Thursday, March 26th for a discussion with developer and advocate Chris Remke as we dig into the city's actions around zoning and property taxes. (Buy Ticket)
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The sun is setting on Tennessee's 114th General Assembly, but not on the drama.
From Megan Podsiedlik
The state legislature is about a month away from closing up shop. As the pressure builds and lawmakers gear up for election season, tensions are on the rise.
A Bruising for Bailey State Senator Paul Bailey (R-Sparta), who chairs the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, raised some eyebrows when he didn’t hold a committee meeting this week. The rumor mill is churning, especially since several of Bailey’s bills have recently been withdrawn, taken off notice, or deferred in the House. Why? Some say House leadership is putting Bailey on notice.
Earlier this month, a few of House Speaker Cameron Sexton’s (R-Crossville) bills were either delayed or placed in the General Subcommittee (a place where bills usually sit and wait to die) by Bailey’s Commerce and Labor Committee.
It’s also worth noting that over the last few years—in anticipation of Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally’s (R-Oak Ridge) inevitable resignation—Bailey’s name has been floated around as a potential member who might vie for McNally’s coveted leadership position in the State Senate. Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) has also been favored to take up the mantle. In February, McNally officially announced that he won’t be running for reelection. Certainly, senators jockeying for the position are already strategizing. Could GOP leadership in the House and Senate be closing ranks to send a signal?
Perhaps it’s all idle gossip. We reached out to Bailey’s office about the absence of a committee meeting this week but have yet to receive a response.
Pesky Pesticide Bill Speaking of whispers, Tennessee’s contentious pest control bill may take an encore before the session’s final curtain call. In January, the legislation that would broaden legal liability protection for pesticide and herbicide companies was delayed for the second time by the House Judiciary Committee.
In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to ensure the domestic production of glyphosate-based herbicides in the name of national security. Given that supporters of Tennessee’s pesticide immunity bill are likely encouraged by the president’s actions to protect glyphosate—and that the state Senate has already passed the bill, leaving it only awaiting House approval—there’s a good chance we’ll see the legislation back on the calendar before the end of this year’s session. This is especially true because it’s the final session of the 114th General Assembly; if supporters wait until next year to advance it, they would have to start the process from scratch.
Thinning Out the Herd The Tennessee Republican Party has kicked 40 people off the Republican primary ballot. Several of the candidates were hoping to challenge Republican incumbents, including the infamous Cade Cothren—former top state House aide who was convicted and then pardoned in a public corruption case alongside ex-House Speaker Glen Casada. Cothren sought to challenge the GOP's freshman incumbent in House District 71, Representative Kip Capley (R-Summertown).
✹ DOES NASHVILLE WANT YOU TO STAY?
The Zoning Phantom Leadeth the Taxman Zoning, land use, and property tax disputes have animated political discussions in Nashville since Mayor Freddie O'Connell first took office in September 2023.
Through his Substack, Built to Think, and organization, Save Our Nashville Neighborhoods, Chris Remke has emerged as the city’s most potent critic of the Metro agenda. He's effectively drawn attention to everything from Nashville’s inflated growth projections to the smoke-and-mirrors assurances given to homeowners about how upzoning would affect them, and most recently, the betrayal of local businesses now saddled with unwieldy tax bills.
Join us Thursday evening, March 26th, for a wide-ranging discussion on what Metro is trying to achieve and where they've gone wrong.
This event is for the benefit of The Pamphleteer, Nashville, and priced with that in mind. Bard-level subscribers receive free admittance.
HEADLINES
- ⚖️ Tying up the enforcement of TN laws with lawsuits may get tougher. The state legislature passed a bill making it harder to temporarily pause the enforcement of a law while a legal challenge makes its way through the courts. The legislation awaits the governor’s signature. (WPLN)
- 🇯🇵 Japanese government warns that TN’s English-speaking driver’s license bill could damage the state’s relationship with Japan. Consul-General of Japan Watanabe Shinji wrote to the Senate Transportation Committee opposing the proposed legislation that would restrict driver’s licenses for people who cannot pass an English-language exam. (WVLT)
- ✨ Tennessee teens sue Elon Musk's Grok, xAI. The class action lawsuit alleges Elon Musk's xAI model, Grok, knowingly produced and distributed child sexual abuse material. (Tennessean)
- 🏗 Metro Commission orders owner of demolished historic structure to rebuild. In February, the Groove record store in East Nashville was illegally torn down without permits. Yesterday, the Metro Historic Zoning Commission ordered the owner to rebuild the structure as close to its original form as possible. (Banner)
- 🧊 Release of Nashville woman detained by ICE delayed. Though Estefany Rodríguez was expected to be released yesterday, she spent another night in immigration detention. Rodríguez’s attorney told a federal judge that technical difficulties with the government’s electronic bail-posting system prevented her husband from securing her release on Wednesday. (Lookout)
✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH
Who bankrolls your councilmember? We analyzed every donation to every council member to show you whether they're funded by their constituents or someone else. Higher grades go to those who raise more money locally. (Take a Look)
DEVELOPMENT
- Chicago-based Boka Restaurant Group unveils whiskey-driven cocktail bar (NBJ)
- Lincoln Property Co. starts industrial project near airport (NBJ)
- Ultium Cells plant shifts battery production to support data center, grid power (Post)
- Trinity Lane site eyed for project sells for $4.43M (Post)
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
🎸 Cornelia Murr @ The Blue Room, 7p, $26, Info
🎻 Dolly Parton's Threads: My Songs in Symphony @ Schermerhorn Symphony Center, 7:30p, $36, Info
🎸 A Very Special Tribute to John Prine @ Dee's Lounge, 6:30p, $10, Info
🎸 Kelley’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
🎸 Open Mic @ Fox & Locke, 6:30p, Free, Info
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Finish Repealing Tennessee’s CON LawsToday's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.