An effort to force developers to disclose who they’ve hired to push zoning legislation through the Metro Council has been sidelined for the time being.
Councilman Jason Holleman proposed the bill after his voicemail filled with constituents in favor of May Town Center. Holleman says the calls came via direct connect. He describes the method as a pollster calling a person and asking if they support the massive development and the jobs it would bring to Nashville.
“And then they would say, ‘ok, you hold the line. I’m going to connect you to your councilman Jason Holleman, and would you just leave him a message with your name and address and that you support May Town?”
Holleman says this kind of lobbying is intended to subvert the democratic process, but it shouldn’t be banned. Developers should just be forced to disclose who is working on their behalf.
The Metro Council attorney Jon Cooper, however, says Holleman may run into First Amendment problems for targeting one viewpoint. The proposal, as written, only affects developers, not those fighting against them.
“Whereas if it applies to proponents and opponents, you’re less likely to run afoul of that issue.”
The bill has been deferred, and Holleman is reworking it. He says he’s open to including the disclosure requirements for everyone, though the law would then become more difficult to enforce. While the Metro Council can threaten to delay approval for developers, that doesn’t work as a penalty for the opposition.
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