tod evans
01-29-2017, 07:53 AM
This is too long to post in its entirety but worth reading....
From Drudge;
Expect More Conflict Between Cities and States
http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2017/01/25/expect-more-conflict-between-cities-and-states
With the federal government and most states controlled by conservative Republicans this year, Democrats are looking to Democratic cities and counties to stand up for progressive policy.
But they may want to temper their expectations. State lawmakers have blocked city action on a range of economic, environmental and human rights issues, including liberal priorities such as minimum wage increases, in recent years. And the stage looks set for more confrontation between cities and states this year.
Already, state lawmakers in Texas and Arkansas are weighing bills that would ban cities from declaring themselves “sanctuaries” and withholding cooperation with federal immigration officials.
Lawmakers in Kentucky, Virginia and six other states are considering preventing localities from allowing transgender people to use some restrooms that match their gender identity. In Montana, one lawmaker wants to prevent local governments from banning texting while driving.
While legislators say they’re trying to ensure consistency in state policy, so-called state preemption laws often expose political differences between state leaders — many of whom hail from rural districts — and city leaders.
“We’ve seen a continual uptick in preemptive measures at the state level over the last few years,” said Brooks Rainwater, director of the Center for City Solutions at the National League of Cities (NLC). He expects more of the same this year.
It’s hard for localities to resist preemption, but many are stepping up their efforts. Cities such as Cleveland and Tucson, Arizona, are challenging state laws in court, as are civil rights groups and other organizations that supported the policies that states are blocking. Mayors across the county, from Washington state to Florida, increasingly are teaming up to lobby at state capitols and rally public opposition to laws that limit local control.
“All we can do is kind of maneuver, dodge and sue, and try to protect ourselves [from preemption] as best we can,” Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, a Democrat, said at an event last week hosted by the Center for American Progress Action Fund, a liberal Washington, D.C., advocacy group.
Who’s in Control?
States vary in the amount of power they give their cities and counties. Ultimately, however, states have the power to decide what localities can or can’t do.
“In the United States all power originates from the states. It was the states that created the federal government, and it’s each state constitution that creates county and local governments,” said Arizona state Sen. John Kavanagh, Republican co-sponsor of a law passed last year that penalizes cities that disobey state law.
Kavanagh said that Arizona tends to step in and limit local control over public safety and constitutional issues, such as gun rights. “The real argument,” he said, “is how much preemption is too much?”
Preemption has become more common partly because cities have grown bigger and more powerful over time, and more likely to experiment with policy. “You’re seeing all this innovation percolate from the ground up,” Rainwater of the NLC said.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans live in cities, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimate. New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, the nation’s three largest, each produce more economic output than all but six states, according to the nonprofit United States Conference of Mayors.
Political and philosophical differences also play a role in preemption fights. Republicans now control both chambers of the legislature and the governor’s office in 24 states. Mayors who ran as Democrats or who are affiliated with the Democratic Party control 78 percent of the nation’s 40 largest cities.
[snip]
http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/post-launch-images/2017/01/sln_jan25_graph.png?la=en
From Drudge;
Expect More Conflict Between Cities and States
http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2017/01/25/expect-more-conflict-between-cities-and-states
With the federal government and most states controlled by conservative Republicans this year, Democrats are looking to Democratic cities and counties to stand up for progressive policy.
But they may want to temper their expectations. State lawmakers have blocked city action on a range of economic, environmental and human rights issues, including liberal priorities such as minimum wage increases, in recent years. And the stage looks set for more confrontation between cities and states this year.
Already, state lawmakers in Texas and Arkansas are weighing bills that would ban cities from declaring themselves “sanctuaries” and withholding cooperation with federal immigration officials.
Lawmakers in Kentucky, Virginia and six other states are considering preventing localities from allowing transgender people to use some restrooms that match their gender identity. In Montana, one lawmaker wants to prevent local governments from banning texting while driving.
While legislators say they’re trying to ensure consistency in state policy, so-called state preemption laws often expose political differences between state leaders — many of whom hail from rural districts — and city leaders.
“We’ve seen a continual uptick in preemptive measures at the state level over the last few years,” said Brooks Rainwater, director of the Center for City Solutions at the National League of Cities (NLC). He expects more of the same this year.
It’s hard for localities to resist preemption, but many are stepping up their efforts. Cities such as Cleveland and Tucson, Arizona, are challenging state laws in court, as are civil rights groups and other organizations that supported the policies that states are blocking. Mayors across the county, from Washington state to Florida, increasingly are teaming up to lobby at state capitols and rally public opposition to laws that limit local control.
“All we can do is kind of maneuver, dodge and sue, and try to protect ourselves [from preemption] as best we can,” Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, a Democrat, said at an event last week hosted by the Center for American Progress Action Fund, a liberal Washington, D.C., advocacy group.
Who’s in Control?
States vary in the amount of power they give their cities and counties. Ultimately, however, states have the power to decide what localities can or can’t do.
“In the United States all power originates from the states. It was the states that created the federal government, and it’s each state constitution that creates county and local governments,” said Arizona state Sen. John Kavanagh, Republican co-sponsor of a law passed last year that penalizes cities that disobey state law.
Kavanagh said that Arizona tends to step in and limit local control over public safety and constitutional issues, such as gun rights. “The real argument,” he said, “is how much preemption is too much?”
Preemption has become more common partly because cities have grown bigger and more powerful over time, and more likely to experiment with policy. “You’re seeing all this innovation percolate from the ground up,” Rainwater of the NLC said.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans live in cities, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimate. New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, the nation’s three largest, each produce more economic output than all but six states, according to the nonprofit United States Conference of Mayors.
Political and philosophical differences also play a role in preemption fights. Republicans now control both chambers of the legislature and the governor’s office in 24 states. Mayors who ran as Democrats or who are affiliated with the Democratic Party control 78 percent of the nation’s 40 largest cities.
[snip]
http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/post-launch-images/2017/01/sln_jan25_graph.png?la=en