The Final Weeks
📜 An eye on TN legislation · Storm debris collected by NDOT · Oracle payroll glitches · Much more!
Good afternoon, everyone. An eye on legislation as General Assembly inches toward the end of session... Storm debris collected by NDOT... Oracle payroll glitches... And much more!
New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your councilmember, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)
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As we creep into the final weeks of the 114th General Assembly, its sink or swim for any legislation introduced over the last two years.
From Megan Podsiedlik
Historically, hundreds of bills die quietly in committee during the final weeks of session while must-pass budget items and leadership priorities are fast-tracked over the finish line.
Topping the list of priority bills we expect to work their way through the legislature are immigration legislation and voucher expansion, while a consequential election bill still hangs in the balance.
Immigration While the majority of immigration bills have been teed up for success, a bill requiring individuals to verify their legal status when operating a commercial motor vehicle has been placed behind the budget.
Likewise, a bill requiring English proficiency to apply for a driver license is still waiting in the wings amid backlash from the Japanese government.
Tennessee House and Senate Republicans are also still split over which version of a bill that would track undocumented students should pass.
Education This week, we’ll see more movement on the Governor’s voucher expansion bill that would double the number of private school vouchers in Tennessee's Education Freedom Scholarships program to 40,000. The increase comes with a price tag, and those opposing the expansion have called for more data transparency.
Elections An election bill that has the potential to drastically change Nashville’s voter turnout is still at play. The legislation would move the date of city elections to line up with the August primary or November general election and will be heard by the House State & Local Government Committee tomorrow.
Currently, Davidson County's local elections and state/federal elections fall on alternating years. During presidential election years, Nashville typically experiences 50-65 percent turnout. For state midterms and federal elections there is 30-40 percent turnout, and for mayoral and council elections there is 20-25 percent turnout.
To help secure final passage, sponsors have made a change to the bill that deleted a previous requirement making all elections partisan. Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) explained that, though municipalities across Tennessee have had the chance to consolidate elections to help with voter turnout, some haven’t because keeping separate election schedules favors local incumbents.
During last week’s Senate State and Local Government Committee meeting, it was disclosed that about 300 local governments already adhere to this schedule while 60 would have to change the election cycle.
✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH
New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your councilmember, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)
HEADLINES
- ⛈️ Storm debris collection totals from NDOT. The cleanup efforts from Winter Storm Fern have been historic in scope for the department. Since February 3rd, 2026, NDOT crews have collected over 1.6 million cubic yards of storm vegetation debris. To put this amount in perspective, in all of 2025, NDOT collected around 87,000 total cubic yards of vegetation during its brush collections. (NDOT)
- 💸 Metro employees “very frustrated” with Oracle payroll glitches. Transition has left city workers, retirees with incorrect checks, and other problems. The Metro Council’s budget and government operations committees are holding a joint meeting on Tuesday to discuss the problem. (Banner)
- 💰 Republicans want to give caucus members a pay raise. Republicans are seeking to give 16 members of their House and Senate caucuses a collective $293,000 pay raise to allow members from areas including Murfreesboro, Portland, Springfield and Clarksville to stay in hotels during the legislative session instead of driving in from home each day. (Tennessean)
- 📚 Nashville's main downtown public library reopens to the public nine months after parking garage fire. Visitors can now access almost every part of the main library, with the exception of the conference center area. (NewsChannel 5)
- 🚇 Hendersonville didn’t win The Boring Company’s contest, but may still partner to bury utility lines. None of the three Tennessee cities that made it to the final round of The Boring Company’s contest for a free mile-long tunnel made the final cut, but Hendersonville is still in talks with the company about a potential solution to bury utility lines. (Lookout)
DEVELOPMENT
- New Tuscan steakhouse Bacco Sets Opening Date for April 10 (Scene)
- Zimmermann, Staud, Malbon, Eberjay to open this year at Wedgewood Village (Post)
- French bakery, Olala Café, slated for SoBro (Post)
- Oracle to take office space in Germantown (Post)
- Marble Fox, Cyanide Cider to relocate (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
🎸 The First Lady of Country Music: Tammy Wynette Tribute Concert @ The Ryman, 7:30, $74+, Info
🪕 Bluegrass Monday with Kyle Tuttle @ Dee's Lounge, 6p, $10, Info
🪕 Val Storey, Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle & New Monday @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info
💀 Grateful Monday @ Acme Feed & Seed, 7p, Free, Info
🕺 Motown Monday @ The 5 Spot, 9p, $5, 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.