Proposal to rename BNA after President Trump removed by committee
A counter bill prohibiting the renaming of public facilities after sitting officials was also removed on Monday.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The issue of potentially renaming Nashville International Airport (BNA) after the President of the United States was removed from consideration on Monday.
The House Naming & Designating Committee voted to take two proposals regarding the rebranding of BNA off notice for this year’s calendar.
Republican lawmakers appeared to be at odds on the idea of renaming BNA after President Donald Trump.
On Jan. 16, Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) introduced SB0214, which would prohibit any public facility from being named after a sitting public official until two years after that person left office.
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The bill also stipulates that a public facility cannot carry the namesake of any public official who has been convicted of a felony, or a morally depraved crime.
The official language of the bill read like this:
“...prohibits a public facility from being named for a local public official who is in office, for two years after the public official leaves office, or if the public official has been convicted of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude.”
Additionally, SB0214 would not allow a public official to make a donation in his/her name using public funds. Rep. Kevin Raper (R-Cleveland) filed the House version of the bill on January 28.
The day after SB0214 was filed, Rep. Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill) filed HB0217, which proposes renaming BNA to Trump International Airport, after Pres. Donald Trump. Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) filed the Senate version of the bill, SB0265, a week later.
The two proposals appear to be in response to the other, given the timing of their filings.
Senator Gardenhire’s bill to prevent the renaming after a public official was filed the day before Rep. Warner’s proposal to call the airport Trump International.
The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) has owned and operated BNA since 1970. The MNAA is a self-financing entity that does not use local tax dollars. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) describes the MNAA as an independent political subdivision of the State of Tennessee.
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