New Resource on Preemption of Local Control Over Police Funding & Law Enforcement Oversight

In this new resource, we examine how, as the Black Lives Matter movement strengthens nationwide and communities push for critical changes to confront racism, preemption has once again emerged as a tool to stifle important local efforts. For example, as communities unite behind the idea of significantly reforming the way police departments are funded in order to redirect local funds to much-needed services, state legislators are quickly stepping in to preempt local discretion over funding. As the calls for police accountability and change intensify, state legislators are also using preemption to take away local district attorneys’ discretion to prosecute or not prosecute cases involving law enforcement, protesters, and others. As advocates plan for the 2021 legislative sessions, it will be important to identify and counter new efforts to undermine the power and vision of black communities and allies at the local level.