A panel of judges ruled on Tuesday that the new law giving state leaders control of the airport authority’s board violates the state constitution.
Why it matters: The unanimous 3-0 ruling is another significant victory in Metro’s battle with the state over a wave of new laws aimed at Nashville.
The ruling restores local control over Nashville International Airport, a major economic engine for the region that has seen massive growth in recent years.
State of play: The new board, appointed by the state’s Republican leaders, will be vacated immediately and the old board, appointed by Nashville’s mayor, will be reinstated.
Zoom out: Metro previously won lower court rulings on the state law that halved the size of the Metro Council. In that case, a three-judge panel ruled that the law could not take effect before the recent August elections.
The city also won a challenge to a state law that reduced the number of Metro Council votes needed to approve a plan to improve the Fairgrounds racetrack.
The state has said it won’t appeal the fairgrounds ruling, but the legal battle over council size continues.
What they’re saying: “This is a big deal,” Metro legal director Wally Dietz tells Axios. “You now have three rulings from three different panels with a majority of Republican judges saying these laws are illegal.”