Nashville judge dismisses suit challenging the racetrack referendum
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The ballot measure targeting racing at the Nashville fairgrounds survived a legal challenge on Wednesday when Chancellor Anne Martin dismissed a lawsuit filed by racetrack supporters.
Why it matters: The hotly debated issue remains on track to be decided by voters next year, although another legal challenge is likely.
Catch up quick: A group called Restore Our Fairgrounds wants to amend the Metro charter to ban auto racing on the property. The group's proposal would replace racing with affordable or workforce housing on the list of required fairgrounds programming.
- The group collected signatures from Davidson County voters in order to get their proposal on the ballot.
- The Davidson County Election Commission certified 47,679 signatures this month, clearing the requirement of 40,194.
Friction point: The opposition group Decline to Sign claims some voters who signed the petition wanted their names removed. Others said their names were on the list despite the fact that they never signed.
- Their lawsuit claims the election commission should have implemented a process to remove signatures at a voter's request.
Driving the news: Martin rejected those claims and dismissed the lawsuit.
Yes, but: Martin said in her ruling that opponents could file a different kind of legal challenge against the election commission's decision.
- Martin said that was the "appropriate avenue" for the Decline to Sign Group to pursue, meaning the legal battle is likely to proceed.
The bottom line: Unless a legal challenge reverses the election commission's decision to advance the referendum, voters will decide the fate of the fairgrounds racetrack next year.