NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — State lawmakers passed bills to take more control over several aspects of Metro government this legislative session.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol will now have authority to patrol tourist areas in downtown Nashville, and the state changed the make-up of the boards that oversee the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority and the Nashville Electric Service.
Democrats called it a "power grab."
Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton (R) Tennessee, said on Inside Politics the state provides money to airports across the state and it has provided hundreds of millions of dollars to Nashville sites like the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and the new Titans football stadium.
"It's not a power grab. I would say if you're investing $50, $100, $150 million in something, would you want to have people on that board to make sure that investment is doing well?" Sexton said.
Sexton said the state deserves more control over things like the Nashville Airport Authority because the state provides money.
"At the end of the day we put in a lot of money. We've done a lot of things to help the airport," Sexton said.
The courts have already stopped one attempt to take over the Nashville Airport Authority Board.
Nashville leaders argued the current, mayor-appointed board is doing just fine.
Some Democrats have said it seems Sexton wants to become mayor of Nashville, calling him "the shadow mayor."
He has said that's not the case, but did take a jab at Nashville's current property tax level.
"If I was the Mayor of Nashville, which I'm not obviously, I would try to lower taxes, get your budget under control and reduce taxes for everybody and figure out how to live off your growth. How to budget a little bit better, how to handle your infrastructure," Sexton said.
Lawmakers also took over Memphis Shelby County Schools by creating an oversight board.
They also added oversight to the Shelby County District Attorney requiring him to report on certain arrests.
Last year Speaker Sexton said the East Bank Authority Board, that he sits on, did not have any real authority.
After this legislative session, that board will now oversee distribution of $300 million in surplus revenue from the Davidson County Tourist Development Zone.
You can see the entire unedited interview with Speaker Sexton on Inside Politics - which airs Friday at 7pm on NewsChannel 5 Plus.
It is also a podcast. Just enter Inside Politics Nashville and start listening.
Next week Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell is on Inside Politics.
