Metro Nashville Council Defers Action on Sanctuary City License Plate Reader Bill That Legislative Staff Said Was Illegal

Metro Nashville Council deferred action on a bill on second reading that council legislative staff said was illegal. In its current form, the bill bans License Plate Reader use for cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

When the issue came up at the meeting, Councilman Bob Mendes asked for committee reports. The requisite committees recommended deferring the ordinance for two meetings. Mendes then moved to defer consideration of the ordinance for two meetings.

Mendes explained his motion to defer, saying that he was doing so because the committee staff said that the bill as written in its current form would violate what he described as  the “state’s aggressive anti-sanctuary city law.” Mendes also laid out the options for future action on the proposed ordinance. Those options included dropping the bill altogether or narrowing its scope. Mendes wanted to give the council more time to consider the options.

No discussion has taken place on the motion. Council members unanimously elected to defer action on the bill to two meetings in the future.

The proposed ordinance in question is BL2022-1115, sponsored by Councilmembers Mendes, Dave Rosenberg, Burkley Allen, Ginny Welsch, Zulfat Suara, Tom Cash, Sean Parker, and Emily Benedict.

The Tennessee Star previously reported that the Metro Nashville Council legislative staff prepared agenda analysis said that Section 1 of the proposed ordinance violates state law because it would create a sanctuary city policy, which is explicitly banned by Tennessee state law.

**This ordinance, if enacted, will violate state law: Title 7, Chapter 68, Part 101, et seq., of the Tennessee Code Annotated (the “Act”).**

A court will likely find that this ordinance violates the Act – which prohibits a local governmental entity from adopting a “sanctuary policy”- because the ordinance would prohibit a department from using the LPR system/information to assist federal officials with immigration compliance. Section 1 of the ordinance explicitly contravenes the Act. The Act provides that “No local governmental entity or official shall adopt or enact a sanctuary policy.”

The council agenda analysis went on to explain, “Section 1, as proposed, would be an express adoption of a sanctuary policy as defined by the Act because it proposes to prohibit any department within the Metropolitan Government from utilizing the LPR system or collected information to cooperate with federal officials in connection with immigration laws of the United States.”

Yes, Every Kid

The future of the proposed ordinance is unclear.

– – –

Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR.

 

 

Related posts

3 Thoughts to “Metro Nashville Council Defers Action on Sanctuary City License Plate Reader Bill That Legislative Staff Said Was Illegal”

  1. 83ragtop50

    Drop the whole blasted thing. Ther is already too many spying eyes on our streets.

  2. Wolf Woman

    The sponsors of the bill are, for the most part, socialists/progressives. The future of the bill should be “File 13.”

Comments