Members of the Tennessee Supreme Court announced Friday they will not involve themselves in legal action between the Davidson County Election Commission and the Metro Nashville Government over the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act.
Court officials announced this Friday.
Members of the Davidson County Election Commission had requested that the Tennessee Supreme Court assume jurisdiction over its pending appeal.
“The Court has carefully considered the motion, the response, and the reply,” Tennessee Supreme Court officials wrote.
“Based upon the current totality of the circumstances, including the relevant timeline and the procedural posture of this case, the Court concludes that this case does not warrant the extraordinary action of the exercise of the Court’s authority to assume jurisdiction. As a result, the motion to assume jurisdiction is DENIED.”
Nashville Public Radio reported that court officials see “no need to speed up the case and will instead let it work its way through the normal appeals process.”
“The referendum’s backers, which include Republicans on the Davidson County Election Commission, had wanted the Supreme Court to settle the case so the vote can take place in September,” according to Nashville Public Radio.
The Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act referendum aimed to rescind Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s controversial 34 to 37 percent tax increase, which Cooper argued was to stabilize the city’s finances. If enacted by voters, the measure would have dramatically altered the budget of the city — immediately slashing $40 million.
Chancellor Russell T. Perkins, a Nashville judge, struck down the provisions of a referendum on the city’s taxes that was scheduled for July 27. The ruling invalidates the referendum and cancels the special election that was to be held, which would have allowed voters to determine the fate of the dramatic tax hike.
The cancellation of the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act referendum prompted officials with Americans for Prosperity – Tennessee (AFP-TN) to renew their efforts to pass a state law to control a city or county’s reckless spending habits.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Tennessee Supreme Court” by Jon698 CC BY-SA 4.0.
Another bunch of pantywaists afraid to take on a real case. Reminds me of the SCOTUS and its turning its back on disenfranchised presidential voters.
It’s heartwarming to see Nashville crush the right to vote.