On August 22, 2026, at 5 p.m., join the League of Women Voters of Nashville in commemorating the Women's Suffrage Movement with a walk to the Women's Suffrage Statue in Nashville's Centennial Park. Lemonade and photo opportunities will be provided. Attendees are encouraged to wear white with yellow or purple accents. 

This activity is contingent on weather cooperation. If rain is expected, the event will be cancelled, and attendees will be notified.

RSVP through the link below.

Join the League of Women Voters of Nashville on Sunday, August 23, from 3 - 5 p.m. at the Historic Hermitage Hotel for an afternoon of history and networking. Attendees will be guided by a historian throughout the Hermitage Hotel, learn about the hotel's role in the Women's Suffrage Movement, and have the opportunity to purchase refreshments and network with other League members.

This event is reserved for League members. Registration is required to attend this event.

Please RSVP through the link below.

Hello Nashville League members! The author, Natalie Babbitt (1932-2016), compares the first week of August “to the top of the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring and those that follow drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot.” For families returning to the school routine, sports, and other activities, Good Luck! I wish all members who are part of the education system a safe and successful year. For our college student members, best wishes for a great semester.

I thank all league members employed as Election Poll workers for their efforts during early voting and August 6 Primary Election Day. And if you were a Poll Location Observer, thank you, too. I had a surprise when casting my vote. I was not in Congressional District 6 as I understood the map, but in District 7! My canary yellow card did arrive in the mail a few days after I completed Early Voting with this updated information.

We have two in-person gatherings (I’m calling them Meet-Ups) planned for Saturday, August 22 and Sunday, August 23 for remembering the Proclamation of the 19th Amendment. Please register for these events through the Nashville League of Women Voters website, so we have an accurate head count. The Meet-Up flyers are included in this newsletter, on social media, and on the website. Saturday’s event is at Centennial Park, and Sunday’s event is at The Hermitage Hotel. I offer kudos to our intern, Emma Johnson, for creating the flyers. Emma has completed her summer internship and returned to college.

We have Voter Services opportunities coming up. Please see the Voter Services section in the newsletter.

Lastly, our Tennessee President, Debby Gould, treated me to lunch and offered encouragement and coaching. Our Nashville Chapter has a track record for ambitious programming, membership recruitment, and retention. My intention is to encourage, recognize, support, and facilitate each committee to engage our members and friends with opportunities for civic engagement, dialogue, and active citizenship. Please reach out to me (redtn1003@gmail.com) for questions and to learn how your experience and interests can be used with our chapter’s mission.

Metro Council Dates: 07-21-26 and 8/4/26

VOTING/ ELECTIONS
The August 6 Primary Election is over. The next election is November 3. The November ballot will include 3 amendments. Be sure to research those before going to vote.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING/ UNHOUSED
1254 An ordinance regarding the disclosure of personalized algorithmic and dynamic pricing was withdrawn on second reading. The sponsor said he is working with the state on this and will reintroduce it later.

WeGo Market
WeGo Public Transit, The Nashville Food Project and Cul2vate plan to work together to make healthy food available at deep discounts in an easy-to-access location. The WeGo Market will operate from 3 - 6 p.m. every Wednesday, August 12 through November 18, on 4th Avenue North, between the WeGo Central terminal and Nashville Municipal Auditorium. Shoppers will be able to purchase local produce at the city’s transportation hub as part of a broader effort to address food insecurity. 

EDUCATION/ SCHOOLS/ IMMIGRATION
Mid-South Immigration Advocates, which has provided legal immigration representation to low-income clients, including unaccompanied minors, since 2013, is closing. “The U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services will indefinitely delay reimbursement. Invoices have remained unpaid for over 7 months of work.”

The announcement noted that MIA has “represented more than 1,600 clients, over 80% of whom received free services, with the
remaining 20% paying low, sliding-scale fees” over the past 13 years.

PUBLIC SAFETY/ TRANSPORTATION/ TRAFFIC/ POLICE
2064 A resolution passed urging the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Transportation and the Mayor’s Office to renew and accelerate their commitment to Vision Zero initiatives to eliminate pedestrian fatalities, in response to a sharp increase in pedestrian and cyclist deaths in Nashville this year.

1497 passed on first reading: No right turns on red within the Urban Services District in Nashville.

A Nashville judge ordered state officials to take custody of 149 people who have been sentenced to prison but are still in local jails due to overcrowding.

Public meetings will be held to solicit input regarding congestion and modernization of a 42-mile stretch of Interstate 65, from Thompson Lane in Davidson County south to Bear Creek Pike in Maury County. 

Bill 1450 passed on second reading, directing the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and the Mayor’s Office, through the Office of Youth Safety, and requesting the coordination of Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools to develop a joint education and information-sharing initiative aimed at identifying and countering the growing threat of online extremist content that targets and exploits young people in Nashville.

ENVIRONMENT
Mayor Freddie O’Connell, The Conservation Fund, and numerous donors celebrated the acquisition of 300 acres of Highland Rim forest on  July 24. The acquisition will come before Metro Council in September.

Resolution 2145 passed, requesting that Nashville Electric Service and the Electric Power Board provide performance metrics and information regarding their tree trimming program and refine vegetation management changes to ensure that electric outage prevention is compatible with maintenance of a healthy tree canopy.

GENERAL
1489 passed on third reading; this ordinance authorizes the acquisition of a parcel of property through negotiation or condemnation. This parcel is a 23.49-acre property at 648
Grassmere Park. The minimum price is $37 million.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, there was a statewide mural festival spotlighting the talents of an all-female team of professional muralists called Walls for Women. The month-long project was completed on August 18, 2020, the day the 19th
amendment was ratified. One of the murals is present in Nashville at 16th N and 1414 Clinton on the side of a garage.

At the end of July, Metro Council passed legislation to regulate data centers in Davidson County and pause the processing of data center permits until December 1. The environmental impacts of data centers were a main topic of concern for both councilmembers and the community, who showed up to public hearings to support the legislation. 

In addition to banning extremely large data centers and restricting where smaller data center facilities can be built, the updated zoning code requires closed-loop cooling and the use of at least 15% renewable energy. It also restricts the use of on-site fossil fuel generators. Data center applications must also include a water and energy consumption plan with sustainability measures.

In the following months, the city will continue to study the potential environmental impacts of data centers as required by Mayor O'Connell's June executive order. Metro councilmembers have signaled they may consider strengthening the environmental regulations in the legislation before the moratorium ends. 

If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the volunteer form linked below.

Join YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee for a Stand Against Injustice conversation on housing as a social justice issue. We’ll dig into the systems that shape housing access — drawing on panelists’ frontline work supporting recovery after hospitalization, preserving affordable units, and building real pathways to long-term stability.

Presidents: Karen Hernan

1st Vice Presidents: 

Secretary: 

Treasurer: Susan Mattson

Nominating Committee Members:

Betsy Walkup

Constance Caldwell

Hasina Mohyuddin

June Bond

Brenda Wynn

Portfolio Chairs

Communications: Yolonda Beech

Education: Dr. Patricia H. Brock

Environment: Carynton Howard and Catherine Price

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

Membership: Dylan Schlesinger

Metro Government:  Pat McCauley

Voter Services: 

Williamson County Representative:  June Bond

Nominating Committee Chair: Senator Brenda Gilmore 

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

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CONTACT US

contact@lwvnashville.org

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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.

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