Legislator Signals Support for Renaming BNA after Dolly Parton

A bill seeking to rename the Nashville International Airport for President Donald Trump “went down in flames,” and its sponsor says he’s now open to grassroots efforts to rename the airport after country music icon and Tennessee native Dolly Parton.

In January, District 92 Rep. Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill) filed a bill that aimed to rename the Nashville International Airport, also known by its three letter airport code BNA, to the “Trump International Airport.”

BNA refers to the airport’s original name, Berry Field, which was named after decorated World War I and World War II U.S. Army veteran Col. Harry Smith Berry.

“This proposal isn’t just a name, it’s about a true patriot in American history,” Warner said during a March 18 meeting of the House Transportation Committee meeting, which is made up of 17 Republicans and five Democrats.

“Donald Trump is not merely a president – he is a spark for change,” Warner continued. “By naming our airport after him, we honor a leader who put Americans first and championed the interests of hard-working citizens.”

Speaker Pro Tempore Pat Marsh (R-Shelbyville) quipped that BNA isn’t large enough to honor Trump, suggesting that “Los Angeles or Chicago or Atlanta deserve that name better than BNA does.”

While other Republicans said that the Palm Beach International Airport, in Florida, some six miles from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Resort, might be more appropriate.

District 5 Rep. David Hawk (R-Greeneville) said he couldn’t vote for the bill due to its fiscal note of more than $10 million.

Warner’s bill ultimately failed in a 5-12 vote, with Republican Reps. Tim Rudd, Chris Todd, Robert Stevens, Greg Vital, and Vice-Chair Ed Butler voting in favor. Republican Rep. Michele Reneau voted as "present."

As attention focused on Warner’s bill, a change.org petition was created and has since garnered more than 44,000 signatures to rename the airport as the “Dolly Parton International Airport.”

Parton, a Brentwood resident, is not only a Grammy award-winning musician, but is also known for her philanthropy, including Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which has provided more than 270 million free books to children over the last 30 years.

“Dolly's philanthropic efforts, her outstanding influence in the music industry, and the love she has instilled in our hearts through her actions and songs, truly make her a deserving candidate to have the Nashville International Airport named after her,” the petition reads in part.

Now, Warner acknowledges his Trump recognition bill was not well received and is open to the Dolly Parton name.

“Yeah that bill went down in flames in the transportation committee,” Warner said to laughs from the audience at Friday’s Policy Talks event in Franklin. “I had numerous emails asking to name it [after Parton,] and I would have no problem with that whatsoever.”