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Bill to reconstitute airport authority boards clears committee amid local‑control objections
Summary
Senate Bill 2473 would standardize metropolitan and regional airport authority board composition and reconstitute several airport boards; the sponsor cited state investments in airport infrastructure as rationale. The committee approved the bill 8‑1 after debate about local control and appointments.
Chairman Senator Bailey told the committee that Senate Bill 2473, as amended, would add "clarity and consistency" to regional and metropolitan airport authority boards. The amendment would set metropolitan boards at nine members with appointments split among the speaker of the house, speaker of the senate, the governor, and the creating municipality’s executive officer; regional boards would be 12 members with a similar mix of appointments.
Several members raised concerns about local control. Senator Campbell said Nashville’s airport is undergoing major expansion and that the change takes away local control; she said she would vote against the bill. Senator Powers argued the state’s increasing financial contributions — the sponsor cited roughly $50 million currently with requests up to $125 million in the current year — justify a role for state appointees. After debate the amendment was adopted and the committee recorded eight ayes and one no; the bill passed and moves to the calendar.
