💰 We have a budget!

💰 City Budget Passes

Last night, Metro Council voted to pass Councilmember Delishia Porterfield’s substitute budget for the 2026 fiscal year. The budget includes affordable housing initiatives and a 2% raise for Metro employees, with Metro Nashville Public Schools receiving the largest chunk of overall funding. It goes into effect on July 1. [Nashville Banner]

• What else is in the budget? Here’s our guide. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

💻 Mayor’s Records Fail To Reveal ICE Obstruction

The Tennessean has acquired all the records the mayor’s office turned over to two Congressional committees that have launched a federal investigation into Mayor O’Connell, accusing him of obstructing Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. The 119 records did not seem to show any efforts to obstruct ICE. [The Tennessean]

• Rep. Andy Ogles leads the charge against O’Connell [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

✍️ A Safe Community for Immigrant Writers

With immigration enforcement detentions taking place all over town, City Cast Nashville podcast host Marie Cecile Anderson sits down with The Porch program director Nina Adel and poet and first-generation Mexican immigrant Nallely Ortega Prater to discuss how their Immigrants Write workshop provides a safe artistic space. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🏢 Law Curbs Community Benefit Agreements

A new Tennessee law bans “community benefits agreements” for companies that have received state economic incentives. These CBAs include neighborhood improvements like agreeing to a minimum wage, building affordable housing, and protecting local environments. General Motors, Oracle, and the Titans have all received state economic incentives. [WPLN]

One of my favorite ways to spend the day is by visiting that stretch of Rosa L. Parks Boulevard just past Jefferson Street, with the Tennessee State Museum, Nashville Farmers’ Market, and Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. Parking is typically plentiful, outside of special events, and there’s so much to do, from learning more about Tennessee’s history to feasting at local restaurants. Here’s our guide!

🎓 Learn Some Stuff at the Tennessee State Museum

Back when I was a kid, I remember going on a field trip to see a Genghis Khan exhibit at the Tennessee State Museum, which was then located at TPAC! Its new, beautiful building was built in 2018, and everyone should visit it at least once. Or numerous times, like me! It’s always free. Exhibitions explore Tennessee’s First Peoples, natural history and fossils, our role in the Civil War, music history, and so much more. The museum has several levels, with both permanent and traveling exhibits, so you can always learn something new. Check out their calendar of events for great programming, and parents, they have a separate children’s area that’s a fantastic way to spend a rainy or super hot day.

☀️ Enjoy the Sunshine at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park

Keep on learning outside by exploring monuments at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, or just enjoy the sunshine! After visiting the museum, my first stop is the 95-bell carillon right outside, which plays music every 15 minutes, and a longer Tennessee-themed song on the hour. If you stand in the middle, you can hear an echo, and make sure to watch how the bells work at the small building nearby, where the organ is housed. It’s super cool!

Follow paved trails to discover historical memorials for the Civil Rights Movement, WWII, and more. You’ll end at the Rivers of Tennessee fountain, where there are restrooms and a visitor center, though the restrooms in the museum tend to be cleaner, FYI.