COVENANT RULINGS
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TSWA ALL-STATE PERFORMERS
JULY 11, 2024 | VOLUME 36 | NUMBER 27
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Nashville leaders condemn white nationalist march on Fourth of July weekend
Members of far-right hate group Patriot Front were seen marching through Nashville on Saturday BY HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Mayor Freddie O’Connell unveils his transit plan, April 19, 2024
PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Mayor’s transit plan clears second reading in Metro Council
Committees unanimously approve transit surcharge and ballot language, final reading ahead this month BY NICOLLE S. PRAINO Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s transit improvement program has cleared another hurdle in Metro Council. Council passed the second reading of the ordinance on its consent agenda at its meeting Tuesday evening. Bills on second reading can be taken up on consent if all committees considering the item recommend approval unanimously.
The transit plan was heard and approved unanimously in three committees: Budget and Finance, Planning and Zoning, Transportation and Infrastructure. At the transportation committee meeting on Monday, Michael Briggs, the mayor’s director of transportation planning, highlighted that the plan approves a sales tax surcharge of $0.005 to fund four key
areas: 86 miles of sidewalks, 600 signalized intersections, bus service improvements such as new 24/7 offerings and safety upgrades to bus stops and to 35 high-injury network intersections. “We estimate 60 percent of the surcharge, the sales tax, being paid by visitors,” Briggs said. He also reminded the >> PAGE 2
Nashville leaders are reacting to Saturday’s demonstration by white nationalist group Patriot Front with condemnation and outrage, as extremist groups continue to make their presence known in Middle Tennessee. “My first priority in this moment — as always — was the safety of Nashvillians,” Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I refuse to platform hate actors, so I have no interest in giving any group or member the attention they seek. But what we should all do is refuse to allow this to be normalized.” “Just because someone is exercising their First Amendment rights does not mean we must accept someone shamelessly identifying as a Nazi as just another American. … Our law enforcement were engaged throughout the actions of [Saturday], and there were no incidents involving direct threats to anyone’s physical safety. Going forward, we’re exploring how we can thoroughly address unlawful activity of the group and prevent it in the future.” “This cannot be the normal for us, we cannot normalize hate,” Metro Councilmember At-Large Zulfat Saura said in part in a video. “We cannot let hate win. We have to continue to live together as people.” “It is essential to address the root causes that have led to the rise and confidence of the far-right in our state, exacerbated by the xenophobic, anti-trans, and >> PAGE 2
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