Critics of state preemption say it and other actions are increasingly being used by Republicans in punitive, even racist ways to limit local governance.
Despite long advocating small government and local control, Republican governors and legislators across a significant swath of the country are increasingly overriding the actions of Democratic cities — removing elected district attorneys or threatening to strip them of power, taking over election offices and otherwise limiting local independence.
State lawmakers proposed nearly 700 bills this year to circumscribe what cities and counties can do, according to Katie Belanger, lead consultant for the Local Solutions Support Center, a national organization focused in part on ending the overreach it calls “abusive state preemption.”
States’ rights only matter when it’s the rights they care about.
Local control only matters when it’s controlled their way.
Small government only matters when the small part hurts poor people.