Research suggests that growing disparities in life expectancy are attributable to the combined effects of deregulation, devolution, and state preemption. For example, between 1980 and 2014, the difference between life expectancy at birth in Mississippi and New York more than tripled from 1.6 years to 5.5 years. Whereas New York allows local governments to raise the minimum wage, mandate paid sick leave, regulate firearms, and require calorie counts on restaurant menus, Mississippi preempts all four of these policies. Read more in Montez JK. Deregulation, Devolution, and State Preemption Laws' Impact on US Mortality Trends. Am J Public Health. 2017;107(11):1749-1750. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2017.304080.

Research shows that the misuse of state preemption often blocks policies that promote health and equity, with severe – and preventable – consequences such as lower life expectancy, increased infant mortality, and worse overall health outcomes. Read more at Montez, JK, Beckfield, J, Cooney, JK, Grumbach, JM, Hayward, MD, Koytak, HZ, WoolfH, S, Zajacova, A. US State Policies, Politics, and Life Expectancy. The Milbank Quarterly. 2020. doi:10.1111/1468-0009.12469.