March 2026

Our Nominating Committee will begin seeking candidates for Board service next month and we hope you’ll consider stepping forward! Serving on the Board is a unique opportunity to shape the direction of our League, amplify our voice, and play a meaningful role in defending and strengthening our democracy. If you’re passionate about civic engagement and ready to make a deeper impact, this is your moment to get involved. Email us at LWVNash@gmail.com to learn more.

Our Inaugural Civic Soirée was an evening for the books! League of Women Voters members and supporters from across the state (and D.C.) came together to celebrate women’s suffrage and the power of women to form a more perfect democracy.

LWVN gives a huge thank you to our Membership Committee for coordinating a wonderful event! Thank you to everyone who made our Soirée a success! View pictures from the event through the link below.

Vanderbilt University is gathering leaders and innovators from all disciplines to participate in conversations to model civil discourse in action. These conversations will be real dialogue that moves beyond sound bites and performance to tackle some of the most pressing issues of our time and bring curiosity and conversation back to the public square. 

We will explore how listening, understanding, and learning how to “disagree” and “agree” with nuance, evidence, and civility can shape a stronger, more connected future. Sessions run from March to April.

Time: 8:00 AM CT
Lentz Public Health Building, Centennial Room

We look forward to welcoming you and the Davidson County Election Commission on Friday, April 10, at 8:00 a.m. for a special Breakfast Meet & Greet. Breakfast and networking begin at 8:00 a.m., followed by the program at 8:20 a.m. The event will conclude at 9:30 a.m.
Join fellow members as we engage in a thoughtful discussion on the voter registration and election process.

Our Inaugural Civic Soirée was a wonderful success, bringing together members and supporters from across Tennessee and beyond to celebrate women’s suffrage and the power of civic engagement. The evening was a meaningful reminder of our shared commitment to strengthening democracy.

We extend our sincere thanks to our Board Intern, Dylan Schlesinger, and to everyone who helped make the event so special. Your support and participation continue to move our mission forward.

We also invite you to join us for our April Hot Topic, a great opportunity to enjoy a delicious breakfast while connecting with fellow members. These gatherings are a wonderful way to build community and engage in thoughtful conversation.

Next month’s program will feature the Davidson County Administrator of Elections, offering valuable insights into voter registration and the election process.

We hope to see you there!

Join the League of Women Voters of Nashville for our April Hot Topic, a breakfast meet-and-greet with Davidson County Administrator of Elections John D. Richardson, and other Davidson County Election Commission Members.

Administrator Richardson will deliver remarks on election integrity in Tennessee and Davidson County, including challenges and opportunities. 

All are welcome to attend.

Voting/Elections:
The field to succeed retiring Davidson County Clerk Brenda Wynn has several candidates: Freda Player, Sharon Hurt, and Pam Murray.

The following candidates will be unopposed in their reelection bids:
Criminal Court Clerk: Howard Gentry
Register of Deeds: Karen Johnson
Juvenile Court Clerk Lonnell Matthews
Trustee: Erica Gilmore
Public Defender: Martesha Johnson 

Sheriff Daron Hall, Circuit Court Clerk Joseph Day, and three appointed judges will face a Democratic primary competition.

For early voting for the August 6 General Election, but not the May 5 Primary Election, there will be 2 new early voting locations. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee will replace the Green Hills Library.

Scarritt Bennett will be the new location for Midtown.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING/ UNHOUSED
On 2/17/26, a resolution passed urging the Davidson County General Sessions Court to pause or limit eviction proceedings to the broadest extent possible for sixty days due to Storm Fern.

At 3/3/26 council meeting, quite a few citizens spoke against several bills giving two properties on the East Bank, such as the old Steiner Liff property, Downtown zoning. Downtown zoning allows buildings up to 40 stories and does not require parking.


Public Safety / Transportation/ Traffic/ Police
Representatives from The Boring Company, for the first time, publicly answered questions from Metro Council Members in a special council committee hearing on 2-19-26. The company faced
questions from councilmembers and disability advocates about its reported failure to respond to questions about the tunnels. It is pretty obvious you cannot get a wheelchair into a regular Tesla, but they never answered the question. The Boring Company's David Buss managed to not say anything substantial and avoided answering yes or no questions. He repeatedly said the firm follows applicable laws and regulations.

On 2/18/26, the Metro Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) signed a letter of intent with The Boring Company, saying the Boring Company will reimburse the MNAA for any engineering, legal, and administrative costs related to the project. However, the state legislature is running an amended caption bill SB2205/ HB2450, if it passes, will create a subterranean transportation authority, run by the state, that will probably negate any agreements with the airport or Nashville, and cost taxpayers $5 million dollars in board salaries.

On 3/3/26, the Metro Council passed a resolution in opposition to the Boring Company’s Music City Loop. The vote was 22 in favor and 15 against.

Environment
The resolution to terminate the NES CEO, Teresa Broyles-Aplen, was deferred to 6/2/26.

General
An ordinance’s 2nd reading was deferred to 4/21. The proposal would require disclosure of the use of personalized algorithmic pricing, which is defined as dynamic pricing derived by an
algorithm that uses consumer data. Disclosure would be required and that disclosure would state: “THIS PRICE WAS SET BY AN ALGORITHM USING YOUR PERSONAL DATA.”

The state of Tennessee will not enforce a 2025 law that made it a felony for public officials to vote in favor of sanctuary policies for immigrants, according to a pending settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union-Tennessee.

Metro Government
The Metro Government committee follows the Nashville Metro Council and Davidson County Election Commission Meetings and local news, and reports to the LWVN Board on legislation, bills, discussions, controversies, resolutions, and policies related to areas of concern to the League of Women Voters.

Why it matters:
Many issues are discussed at Metro Council and election commission meetings. Not all are reported by the media. By following meetings, the LWVN, as well as the public, can become aware of issues/controversies early. Bills require 3 readings with votes, amendments, and public comment before passage. If there is a bill in which the League has an interest, there would be time to make a public comment and possibly make an impact before the bill’s final passage.

Learn more:
All council meetings are televised live on TV and streamed at live streaming on Nashville.gov. Metro Nashville Network’s Government TV is on Channel 3 on Comcast and on AT&T’s U-verse 99.

The meetings are on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday evenings each month.
Meetings officially start at 6:30 pm and last until they get through the
agenda, which is also listed on the Nashville.gov website.
Meetings typically last 3 hours.

Davidson County Election Commission meetings are as needed, but in general, they meet once a month in the afternoon. One can sign up for meeting notifications by email on Nashville.gov.

Past council meetings and Davidson County Election Commission meetings can be found on
www.youtube.com/metronashville, which is also linked to
Nashville.gov.

Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act: The Tennessee Waste To Jobs Act (TWTJ) is state legislation that establishes an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework for packaging materials in Tennessee. TWTJ specifically requires producers of goods to pay fees that fund recycling and composting of packaging—money that would otherwise come from taxpayers—with the goal of increasing recycling rates, creating thousands of new, local jobs, and generating millions in revenue for Tennessee.

The bill recently cleared the Tennessee Senate Government Operations Committee with bipartisan support, representing the furthest this type of legislation has ever gone in Tennessee. Despite this progress, the legislation was shelved for the rest of 2026 to go to summer study with the intent to bring it back next year.

Co-Presidents: Ophelia Doe and Kathryn Anderson

1st Vice Presidents: Karen Hernan and Ethel Detch

Secretary: Ethel Detch

Treasurer: Susan Mattson

Nominating Committee Members:

Betsy Walkup

Constance Caldwell

Hasina Mohyuddin

June Bond

Brenda Wynn

Portfolio Chairs

Communications: Yolonda Beech

Community Connections: Sabina Mohyuddin & Leona Edwards

Education: Dr. Patricia H. Brock, Dr. Leslie Cowell, and MaKenzie Mosby

Environment: Kelley Knott-Sandifer, Simone Chhut, Carynton Howard, and Catherine Price

Health Care/Public Health:  Harper-Grace Niedermeyer and Ashudee Kirk 

Membership: Reba Holmes, Dani Sheree Ross, and Dylan Schlesinger

Metro Government:  Pat McCauley and Brenda Haywood

Voter Services: Sue Johnson

Williamson County Representative:  June Bond

Nominating Committee Chair: Senator Brenda Gilmore 

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS NASHVILLE
Box 158369, Nashville, Tennessee 37215

FOLLOW US

CONTACT US

contact@lwvnashville.org

NON-PARTISANSHIP STATEMENT
The League is proud to be non-partisan, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties at any level of government, but always working on vital issues of concern to their members and the public. The League works to encourage informed and active participation in government and to influence public policy through education and advocacy.

DISCLAIMER
Views expressed by non-League links are not necessarily those of the League. The links are provided as a service to visitors.