NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A bill that would expand state oversight of Tennessee’s busiest tourism districts — including downtown Nashville — is now headed to the governor’s desk.

The legislation would shift more control over how these areas operate, setting up a broader debate over whether the move is about accountability or a state power grab.

“This is one of the most egregious interferences with local government that we’ve ever considered,” said Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville).

What are tourism development zones?

Tennessee has eight tourism development zones (TDZs) across the state, including:

• Nashville
• Memphis (Graceland)
• Memphis (Fairgrounds/Liberty Park)
• Memphis (Downtown)
• Knoxville
• Chattanooga
• Sevierville
• Pigeon Forge

These areas are designed to boost tourism and economic development by allowing cities to keep certain tax revenues generated within the zone and reinvest that money into infrastructure, operations, and attractions.

What the bill would change

Under the bill, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development would be required to create a new set of rules for all TDZs statewide.

Those rules would cover:

• Sanitation (trash, litter, street cleaning, odors, pest control)
• Public behavior, including loitering and access to businesses
• Use of public spaces and rights-of-way

The legislation would also:

• Give the Tennessee Highway Patrol authority to enforce laws in these areas alongside local police
• Limit when cities can block streets or restrict access, including in areas like Lower Broadway

And critically, those new state rules could override local ordinances already in place, shifting decision-making power away from city leaders.

Debate at the Capitol

Supporters say the move is justified, pointing to the amount of state money tied to these districts.

“Those zones are keeping state dollars and therefore the state has an interest,” said Bo Watson (R-Hixson).

Republicans argue the state has invested billions of dollars into tourism development zones and should ensure those areas are clean, safe, and accessible to visitors.

“They are not being properly maintained, they are being closed off which affects local businesses, they are not safe and secure,” Watson said.

But critics argue the bill gives too much power to a state agency, including authority over issues typically handled at the local level.

“We’re supposed to pass the laws. We’re not supposed to give the Department of Tourist Development of all places the right to create new standards,” Yarbro said.

Yarbro also warned the legislation hands broad authority to unelected officials.

“That is a wide range of power that we are giving to an executive branch agency that is going to then override the decisions of local governments,” Yarbro added.

What happens next

The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.

He can either sign it into law, or allow it to become law without his signature after 10 days.

Jim Knowles has installed new defenses in a lot of places. Having familiar faces around is making the experience much smoother this spring at Tennessee.

Volunteers coach Josh Heupel not only hired Knowles as his new defensive coordinator in December, he added three defensive assistants who’ve worked with Knowles in the past. Four players also followed Knowles from Penn State to Knoxville through the transfer portal.

“That’s unique. I haven’t been in that before,” Knowles said of the portal. “So, I think it gives us really a step up. I know there were some struggles last year on defense, but the year before that they were pretty good, so we’re not starting at ground zero.”

How well this new defense comes together won’t truly be tested until the season opener Sept. 5 against Furman. The first public look comes Saturday as Tennessee wraps up spring practice with the annual Orange & White game.

The Vols reached the 2024 College Football Playoff with a defense ranked fourth nationally, holding opponents to 13.9 points a game before losing to eventual national champ Ohio State. Knowles was the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator in that game.

Tennessee dropped to 91st in 2025, allowing 28.7 points a game with at least 33 in each of its four regular-season losses.

Heupel wasted little time firing coordinator Tim Banks on Dec. 8. He hired Knowles as his new coordinator three days later with Knowles watching practices before the Vols lost the Music City Bowl to finish 8-5.

The Tennessee coach likes the flexibility of Knowles’ schemes and the coordinator’s ability to put players into the best situations based on matchups. That’s why he targeted Knowles to join him after the coordinator’s lone season at Penn State.

“Having been a coordinator and had to go somewhere else too, I think a big part of your players picking it up as quickly as they can, is having guys in your staff room that understand your scheme, what you’re trying to implement and the why behind it,” Heupel said.

That’s why Heupel hired two coaches who had been with Knowles at Penn State in Anthony Poindexter as co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach, and Andrew Jackson as outside linebackers coach.

The group was going to include Michael Hunter Jr., who worked with Knowles both at Ohio State and Oklahoma State, coaching cornerbacks before he was hired by the Los Angeles Rams. So Tennessee brought in Derek Jones, who worked with Knowles at Duke, in February.

Heupel also hired Derek Owings away from national champ Indiana as director of sports performance to help his Vols get stronger and faster.

Of the 22 players Tennessee brought in from the portal, the four from Penn State include the Nittany Lions’ top tackler in linebacker Amare Campbell, edge rusher Chaz Coleman, defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam and safety Dejuan Lane.

Poindexter can see a difference in how quickly the defense installation has gone this spring. Knowing Knowles helps the defensive assistants understand how the defense needs to look. Knowles also was a coordinator at Oklahoma State, Duke and Western Michigan.

That’s because coaches need to know what’s going on before teaching players what to do in a scheme. Poindexter said familiarity with Knowles and what’s being taught translates into how coaches explain details more confidently.

“We’re light years ahead of where we were a year ago,” Poindexter said.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football