NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A settlement has been proposed for a lawsuit that was filed on behalf of seven Metro Council members challenging a state law that made it a felony for elected officials to vote in favor of sanctuary city policies.
PREVIOUS | Lawsuit challenges state law that criminalizes elected officials who vote for sanctuary city policies
The complaint was filed last June, and it argued the bill — passed during the January 2025 special legislative session — violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments and the Speech and Debate Clause, which gives legislators immunity when acting in their official capacities. According to a press release from the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Metro Council members, the proposed settlement acknowledged the unconstitutionality of the law.
Under the proposed agreement, neither Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk nor Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti will bring criminal charges or other removal proceedings against any local official under the challenged provisions. News 2 has reached out to Funk’s office for comment, but as of publication, there’s been no response.
Additionally, the proposed settlement stated that the defendants, named as Funk and Skrmetti, must pay $61,223.51 in attorneys’ fees and costs for the Metro Council members…