A Tennessee appeals court on Tuesday upheld the constitutionality of a law passed by the state's Republican-controlled legislature to punish the Democratic-leaning city of Nashville by slashing the size of its council.

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 split Tennessee Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of the state’s effort to cut the Metro Nashville Council in half, overturning a trial court decision in a battle between state and local governments.