State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

The Local Government Preemption Debate in Texas Isn't Just About Cities

Route Fifty: The framers of the U.S. Constitution gave the states an incredible amount of latitude to organize local levels of government and define the boundaries of jurisdictional authority under their control.

And while debates over the powers of local governments are nothing new, they’ve become especially pronounced in recent years in states like North Carolina, where the legislative furor over the H.B. 2 transgender “bathroom bill” and its repeal prompted an economic development backlash.

In Texas, progressives in major cities have regularly clashed with Republicans at the State Capitol on a variety of local governance issues, like sanctuary city policies, plastic bag fees, ride-booking services and fracking.

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