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Resolution opposing Music City Loop defeated after Nashville officials testify
Summary
Senate Joint Resolution 684, introduced to affirm local control and oppose the Music City Loop tunneling project, was debated with testimony from Metro Council leaders; the committee voted to defeat the resolution after hearing concerns about exclusion of local officials and environmental and equity impacts.
Senator Oliver presented SJR684, which sought to affirm that public land is a public trust and called into question the state’s handling of a private tunneling project that runs under state roads. Oliver said Metro Council and local residents had been excluded from decisions: "The Boring Company deliberately excluded Nashville's mayor, the metro council members, and Davidson County legislators from the announcement," he said, and described the routing under state roads as "an unprecedented state preemption on behalf of one private company."
Two Metro Nashville officials testified against the project. Delicia Porterfield, Metro Council president pro tem, told the committee that "overwhelmingly, our constituents have reached out saying that they have concerns about this tunnel, and they're not interested in this tunnel," adding that there is "no such thing as free lunch" when private proposals create downstream costs. Council member Clay Capp said the proposal would hand public space to a private monopoly and warned of undisclosed chemical discharges: "Nashville will pay for the deployment of first responders and their training and equipment," Capp said. After debate the committee voted; the clerk announced SJR684 was defeated.
