There are powerful lessons states can learn from MN’s work empowering local control + curbing abusive preemption. Read key takeaways in our new blog from Cornell Prof. @povertyscholar.bsky.social of the Center for Racial Justice & Equitable Futures: www.supportdemocracy.org/the-latest/p...

The rise of federal authoritarianism is harming public health. States are reducing local control over health protections – prohibiting policies like vaccine requirements & paid sick leave – leaving less healthy communities in their wake 😷 Learn more: www.supportdemocracy.org/authoritarianism

Despite the Death Star 2.0 law ripping away many aspects of home rule from cities & towns in Florida last year, lawmakers are still using abusive preemption to target local control of land use, local fees, & more. Learn about the new preemption bills in FL: floridapolitics.com/archives/776...

Many Idaho towns & cities support protecting LGBTQ+ people from discrimination – that’s why they’ve passed policies to do so. Now, the state leg is considering an abusive preemption bill to block inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances. Get the facts: idahocapitalsun.com/2026/01/28/n...

Countless Americans fought hard for the civil rights protections we rely on today. The Trump Administration’s work to undermine these rights & target marginalized communities is a classic move from the authoritarian playbook. Get the facts 📜 www.supportdemocracy.org/authoritarianism

No KY city or county is listed as a “sanctuary jurisdiction.” But that hasn’t stopped state lawmakers from targeting localities with “sanctuary policies,” using abusive preemption to force counties to comply with ICE’s aggressive tactics. Learn more: www.lpm.org/news/2026-01...

SPOTLIGHT 🔎Luis Figueroa, Senior Director of Legislative Affairs at Every Texan We had an insightful conversation about his work advocating for local democracy and fighting abusive preemption in Texas. Read the full conversation: www.supportdemocracy.org/the-latest/l...

Rising federal authoritarianism is harming our rights and freedoms at every level of government ❌ Get the facts in our new white paper on Federal Authoritarianism and Abusive State Preemption: www.supportdemocracy.org/authoritarianism

From deploying the national guard to Memphis, D.C. & Chicago to withholding federal funding from localities that continue to promote DEI, the federal turn toward authoritarianism is targeting the rights & freedoms of cities across the country. Learn more: www.supportdemocracy.org/authoritarianism

IN communities want a say in zoning policies & restrictions implemented on new development, but state leaders are proposing legislation to preempt local control & force localities to encourage development for more affordable housing. Get the facts: indianacapitalchronicle.com/2026/01/21/l...

School nurses provide vital healthcare for kids at school, but preemption laws are making their jobs harder. These laws, passed without implementation in mind, have diluted care provided by school nurses. Learn more via @networkforphl.bsky.social 🩺 www.networkforphl.org/news-insight...

The discriminatory, anti-immigrant agenda of the Trump administration is continuously being implemented at the state level through abusive preemption legislation, & recent bills introduced in the TN legislature are no exception. Learn about these dangerous bills ⬇️ nashvillebanner.com/2026/01/15/t...

OUT NOW: Our new white paper digs deep into connections between federal authoritarianism & abusive state preemption 📜 In recent years, more states have abused their powers and interfered with local democracy to the detriment of communities. Get the facts: www.supportdemocracy.org/authoritaria...

We stand with Minnesota ❤️🗣

Savannah, GA unanimously passed an ordinance to outlaw leaving guns in unlocked cars because citizens supported it to make communities safer. Now, state lawmakers are using abusive preemption to undermine local control & void ordinances like this. apnews.com/article/gun-...

Texas’ abusive preemption Death Star 2.0 bill is now denying Texas A&M students the comprehensive education they deserve ❌ Educators have reported that they’ve been asked to remove materials related to gender, sexuality, race, and more. Get the facts 📝 www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...

Legal win for home rule in Kentucky 🎉 The KY Supreme Court reversed an earlier decision and limited the state legislature’s ability to restrict local control over school board decisions. Get the facts ⬇️ nkytribune.com/2026/01/kent...

Despite attacks, we can still fight for equality by: 📝Tracking anti-DEI bills 🗣️Demonstrating the benefits of DEI 🤝Building broad coalitions ⚖️Legally challenging vague anti-DEI laws Learn more in our recent blog from Ruqaiijah Yearby, JD, MPH of IHJE: www.supportdemocracy.org/the-latest/c...

Abusive preemption is having a vast, negative impact on communities across IN – from affordable housing to minimum wage to gun control. Get the facts in a new report from the IN Coalition for Human Services urging state lawmakers to study the harms of preemption: www.wfyi.org/news/article...

Abusive preemption laws are blocking Michigan communities from addressing the affordable housing crisis, and Saginaw, MI Mayor Brenda Moore wrote a great op-ed about how partnership, not preemption, is needed to help MI thrive. Read the full piece: michiganchronicle.com/advancing-ho...

FL lawmakers are considering serious changes to their Death Star 2.0 law after the law sparked outrage from cities and municipalities. Learn more – including how keeping any part of this abusive preemption bill on the books continues to harm Floridians: www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...

Research shows that low levels of Fluoride in water makes communities healthier & helps protect kids from dental problems later in life. This is another example of the MAHA agenda being enacted through abusive preemption to the detriment of public health. www.kjzz.org/politics/202...

Many WV communities don’t want data centers in their backyards due to the loud noise, air pollution, chemicals in drinking water, & more. But state lawmakers recently used abusive preemption to overrule local control over these decisions. Get the facts: mountainstatespotlight.org/2025/12/14/d...

New year, same abusive preemption from state lawmakers seeking to enact Trump’s anti-democratic agenda. Get ahead of the 2026 Legislative Session via our recent trends report 📜https://www.supportdemocracy.org/the-latest/2026prefiles

Happy New Year from your friends at the Local Solutions Support Center! Cheers to a more democratic 2026 🎉🥂

Last year, more than 6 states eroded critical DEI measures via preemption legislation or executive order. According to pre-files for the 2026 Legislative Session, more states are planning to target DEI in K-12 schools & higher education. Get the facts: www.supportdemocracy.org/the-latest/2...

Ahead of the 2026 midterms, state lawmakers are pre-filing abusive preemption bills around elections impacting early voting, absentee ballots, nonprofit advocacy, and more. Read our report on bills we’re watching during the 2026 Legislative Session 🗳️ www.supportdemocracy.org/the-latest/2...

Death star bills. Blocking gun safety. Attacking DEI. 2025 isn’t over yet, and we’re already tracking over 60 abusive preemption bills that have been pre-filed for the 2026 Legislative Session. Get the facts via our new trends report 📝 www.supportdemocracy.org/the-latest/2...

Communities across FL want development regulated to protect the wetlands & fight pollution. But developers are pressuring lawmakers to preempt local control + let them build without factoring in the environmental impact, leading them to introduce SB 718: www.wftv.com/news/local/b...

“Local control is not a slogan to invoke when it’s convenient and abandon when it’s not.” Great op-ed from @utaustin.bsky.social Prof. Rachel White on the ways Texas lawmakers are using abusive preemption to advance their political agendas in school clubs 📚 www.statesman.com/opinion/colu...

The federal government & many states have worked to restrict DEI, but these efforts often exceed the state’s authority & conflict with long-standing legal interpretations of equality. Learn more in our new blog from Ruqaiijah Yearby, JD, MPH of IHJE: www.supportdemocracy.org/the-latest/c...

FL is considering a “Death Star 2.0” law in HB 105/SB 180, which would be a direct assault on home rule. This would put the financial cost of litigation around the law on cities, forcing taxpayers to pay for lawsuits instead of key services. Learn more: www.tcpalm.com/story/opinio...

Immigration was a core theme in abusive preemption bills in recent years. NC lawmakers are eager to protect communities amid reports of racial profiling and property damage, but abusive preemption automatically limits the actions they can take. Learn more: www.axios.com/local/charlo...

Last week, we spoke alongside @thelssc.bsky.social at EARNCon 2025 in New Orleans, where we discussed creative ways Southern cities and towns can pass laws protecting workers – even as more conservative state governments try to block local progress.

State preemption of public health laws is making all of us less healthy – fewer vaccine requirements means less herd immunity to protect children in school, more cases of serious illnesses like measles, mumps + chickenpox, & overall sicker communities. www.supportdemocracy.org/the-latest/t...

Abusive preemption often targets the freedoms of vulnerable communities & the lawsuit stemming from Texas’ Death Star 2.0 law is no different. Some targeted ordinances protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination in employment, housing & more. Get the facts: news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-...

If cities in Florida seek to bring down Confederate statues because their communities support it, they should be able to – but FL lawmakers have introduced an abusive preemption bill to fine towns for removing any historical monuments. Get the facts ⬇️ floridaphoenix.com/2025/11/14/f...

📜Resource alert📜 Tracking & understanding the harms of abusive preemption is an essential part of fighting it. We’re here to help with a categorized, searchable database of research & studies on the impact of these policies. Get the facts:

Abusive preemption is blocking paid sick days. Nearly 73M Americans live in places that can’t require businesses to provide paid sick days, even though they improve economic security & keep us all healthier. Learn more via @abetterbalance.org @npwf.bsky.social nationalpartnership.org/report/nearl...

From tracking preemption of Good Cause Eviction laws to building coalitions that center racial justice, there are still ways for advocates to advance fair housing. Learn how to fight the housing crisis from Sandhya Kajeepeta of @legaldefensefund.bsky.social www.supportdemocracy.org/the-latest/a...

89 local ordinances in Dallas may be unenforceable – all because of the state's "Death Star 2.0" preemption law. 'Death Star' laws are some of the most severe & abusive preemption measures, designed to render local governments powerless. Read more ⬇️ www.forbes.com/sites/patric...

York & Philadelphia are trying to regulate “ghost guns” and machine gun converters to protect their cities from high rates of gun violence, but abusive preemptive laws blocking local firearm regulations are stopping them from taking action. Get the facts: www.thetrace.org/2025/10/york...

2024: 499 📈 2025: 916 The number of abusive preemption bills nearly doubled this year as state lawmakers worked to enforce Trump’s anti-democratic agenda across the country. Learn more on how preemption is being used to target civil liberties via @truthout.org: truthout.org/articles/rep...

Detroit was built by good union jobs, but abusive preemption from the #MIleg blocks city lawmakers from promoting unions in new projects. Great op-ed from Councilor Santiago-Romero urging developers to create union stadium jobs & make this a win for all Detroiters. www.metrotimes.com/topic/views-...

Preemption often plays out in battles between city lawmakers and state legislatures over policing, immigrant rights, and more. Many state legislatures are working to force through Trump’s anti-democratic agenda and overrule local policy. Get the facts from @prospect.org📝 prospect.org/politics/202...

There’s strong evidence that guaranteed income improves lives, but 10 states are using abusive preemption to block local GI programs. Mary Bogle of @urbaninstitute.bsky.social explores how this impacts the ability to test GI & ways we can still move forward. www.supportdemocracy.org/the-latest/p...

Following the tragic mass shooting in Minneapolis, mayors from across Minnesota are asking state lawmakers to repeal a preemptive state law from 1985 that prevents local lawmakers from regulating firearms in their communities. Read more ⬇️ www.kare11.com/article/news...

Local win against preemption in New Orleans! The NOLA City Council passed the Workers’ Bill of Rights, which will recognize employers that respect their employees’ well-being. Great advocacy from @stepuplouisiana.bsky.social & @abetterbalance.org to make it happen 👏 bizneworleans.com/step-up-loui...

25 local governments have filed a lawsuit to block a new Florida law that restricts local leaders’ ability to regulate development. This law would block important work to provide cleaner water & build hurricane-resistant structures. Read about the lawsuit: floridaphoenix.com/2025/09/29/l...

Good cause eviction laws can provide vital protections for Black tenants, but state preemption laws block many cities from passing them. Read how these could help address the housing crisis in a blog from Sandhya Kajeepeta of @legaldefensefund.bsky.social www.supportdemocracy.org/the-latest/a...