A Tennessee appeals court has upheld the constitutionality of a law passed by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature to punish the Democratic-leaning city of Nashville.

The Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled a law that would shrink Nashville's Metro Council to 20 members is constitutional. The ruling reverses earlier court decisions, which found it violated local sovereignty protections.

A Tennessee appeals court on Tuesday upheld the constitutionality of a law passed by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature to punish the Democratic-lean