In a new paper from A Better Balance, Local Solutions Support Center, and Equality Federation, we trace the local roots of LGBTQ+ equality in the United States and highlight the different types of abusive preemption that target local authority to protect LGBTQ+ individuals.
Read MoreStates have begun to impair or eradicate whole realms of local authority entirely. This White Paper explains the historical underpinnings of this rapidly emerging trend, the forms this preemption is taking, and the reasons why structural change to bolster local authority in the face of this new preemption is ever-more critical.
Read MoreLSSC’s latest report, Protecting Local Democracy: 2023 Legislative Session Overview, explores all the preemption trends that played out in states across the country this past year. The report also highlights what issues advocates are most concerned about as we head into 2024.
Read More“State takeovers of public schools and districts is one prong of a multi-prong approach to dismantling resistance to oppressive legislation,” Steven L. Nelson, Ph.D. writes.
Read MoreThe scope of abusive preemption bills is widening – from Death Star preemption; to efforts to undermine the power of reform-oriented prosecutors; to discriminating against transgender youth; to making it harder for local officials to successfully conduct elections. LSSC’s mid-session report explores the top trends we’re tracking so far this session, as well as a few promising victories that advocates are securing.
Read MoreThis resource from ChangeLab Solutions and the Local Solutions Support Center (LSSC), newly updated for 2023, provides advocates with the research and data they need to document the harmful consequences of preemption and advocate for repealing inequitable preemption laws.
Read MoreDespite the growing threat of abusive preemption, LSSC and our partners across the country secured important wins in 2022 – in state houses, in the courts, and in organizing spaces. We learned lessons and developed best practices that are already strengthening our work as the national hub countering abusive preemption and strengthening democracy as we head into 2023. This new report highlights some of the Local Solutions Support Center’s key activities to support the field and push back against abusive preemption in 2022.
Read More“This year, as ALEC marks its 50th anniversary, national groups representing hundreds of thousands of Americans are coming together to make sure more Americans understand just how harmful ALEC’s legacy has been and how toxic its agenda really is for our communities, our democracy, and our planet.”
Read MoreIn a new paper from Local Solutions Support Center, Curricular Preemption: The New Front of an Old Culture War, we discuss the growing trend of curricular preemption and its impact on local school districts.
Read MoreRamón Cruz, President of the Sierra Club, explores how some state legislatures are targeting private financial institutions in order to boycott or penalize them simply for adopting measures that consider climate change in their investments, constituting a preemption effort against proactive climate action.
Read MorePreempting Progress: States Take Aim at Local Prosecutors examines how as local communities have called on prosecutors to use their discretion to embrace reform and a less carceral approach to criminal justice, states have intervened in an attempt to force prosecutors to continue tough-on-crime policies.
Read MorePreeti Chauhan explores how some prosecutors are using their own discretion to create a less punitive and a more fair and equitable criminal legal system – and how state preemption can impact their ability to do so.
Read MoreMildred E. Warner of Cornell University explores how abusive state preemption legislation suppresses wages, undermining inclusive growth. Warner explains how we can promote more inclusive growth by raising returns to labor.
Read MoreSome states have begun to use preemption to force localities to criminalize camping in public, taking local resources away from proven solutions that could address the root causes of homelessness. Rather than solve the crisis, this preemption exacerbates it by punishing people who can find shelter nowhere else.
Read MoreCourtnee Melton-Fant shares the story of Boxtown, a majority black neighborhood in Memphis harmed by the abuse of preemption.
Read MoreThese message frames, addendums to Connecting the Dots: How to Message the Abuse of State Preemption, are designed to help you talk about preemption through different lenses and to different audiences.
Read MoreIn this report, LSSC tracks how abusive preemption was used during the 2022 legislative session by state lawmakers at the behest of corporations to undermine local authority, particularly on public health authority, LGBTQ rights, and democracy & voting rights.
Read More“New Jersey is a place with two major stories in land use today,” Noah Kazis writes. “One led by the state against local prerogatives, and one led by localities themselves. Understanding the relationship between those two stories may teach us much about what preemption can and can’t do.”
Read MoreReforming home rule will look different from state to state, because every state has unique needs that must be addressed. Progress may come sooner in some states than others – but we can’t afford to not push forward. Pursuing home rule reform brings us closer to a reality where government and elected officials are able to fulfill their responsibilities and meet the needs of their communities.
Read MoreHome rule reform, like abusive preemption, can be difficult to explain – even if you’re doing this work day-in and day-out. That’s why our national table is releasing new message guidance to help advocates make the case for home rule reform and move people to action. This guidance is meant to help you explain what home rule reform is and why action is urgently needed now.
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