The referendum took place amidst a broader English-only movement in the United States.

[6] Accordingly, there were five components to Proposal 1: Previous efforts to pass this type of legislation had been met with vigorous opposition from then-Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell, who argued that the passage of an ordinance making English the official language of Nashville would create legal confusion, resulting in countless lawsuits.

That means hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees whether we win or lose, for no good reason.

[2] The proponents of Proposal 1 were represented by Nashville English First, the brainchild of Nashvillians Jon Crisp and Eric Crafton,[11] with the legal, financial, and moral support of ProEnglish out of Arlington, Virginia.

[12] Opponents argued that the measure is antagonistic toward immigrants in transition, redundant in that English was already the "official and legal language" of Tennessee, and that passage of the measure could damage Nashville's reputation as a welcoming city, its international economy, its budget, and its safety.