Pride flags. Drag. Trans youth in school sports. State lawmakers are increasingly using abusive preemption laws to target LGBTQ+ rights, visibility & daily life 🏳️‍🌈 Learn more in a white paper from @thelssc.bsky.social @abetterbalance.org & @equalityfed.bsky.social: www.supportdemocracy.org/LGBTQ2026

State lawmakers are increasingly using abusive laws to target LGBTQ+ rights, visibility, and daily life and erode local protections. Our new report with @thelssc.bsky.social and @equalityfed.bsky.social tracks 200 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in 48 states: www.abetterbalance.org/resources/st...

Attacks on LGBTQ+ dignity are increasing at the state level – since 2024 lawmakers have introduced at least 200 bills targeting LGBTQ+ kids, legal protections & more. Read the new white paper from @thelssc.bsky.social @abetterbalance.org @equalityfed.bsky.social: www.supportdemocracy.org/LGBTQ2026

As summers get hotter and hotter, protections for outdoor workers from extreme heat are increasingly important for worker safety. But abusive preemption is blocking many states, from FL to NY, from implementing these life-saving protections. Learn more: citylimits.org/opinion-stat...

Ohio has been a Home Rule state since their 1912 constitutional convention. Conflicts between cities and the legislature continue, and the courts usually side with the state. Learn more about the history of Home Rule in Ohio and recent legal fights ⬇️ www.wvxu.org/local-news/2...

Legal win for Santa Cruz voters! They passed a tax on soda distributors in 2024, but were challenged by corporate actors. This is just another example of corporations attempting to use preemption to override the preferences of communities ❌

Georgia voters want prosecutors to have discretion in local cases, but state lawmakers implemented an oversight committee with a pathway to remove prosecutors they believe aren’t fulfilling their duties. Get the facts on the committee: www.newsfromthestates.com/article/judg...

Cities and towns across Texas passed good, comprehensive laws to protect their communities from the harshest impacts of climate change. But the 2023 Death Star law has eliminated or weakened many of the most impactful climate laws. Get the facts: www.texasobserver.org/texas-cities...

People in Georgia are facing high costs of living & lawmakers are prioritizing supporting corporations’ goals over affordability. The common thread is abusive preemption – @staceyabrams.com broke down exactly how it’s raising costs for workers in a new op-ed. maconmelody.com/abusive-pree...

The homeowner tax cuts proposed by Florida Gov. DeSantis would dramatically reduce the power of local governments – cutting their revenue by up to $10 billion dollars and restricting what they can spend municipal funds on. Learn about the proposal: www.orlandosentinel.com/2026/05/31/d...

State lawmakers in Tennessee spent this year using abusive preemption to aggressively target home rule and municipal leadership. The end result is a severe reduction in local control and governance this legislative session. Get the facts: www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/p...

Communities want to restrict flavored tobacco to help protect young people from nicotine addiction, but OH has abusive preemption laws blocking all local tobacco regulation. A new lawsuit from local governments is challenging those laws – learn more: woub.org/2026/06/10/h...

Montana communities want sanctuary cities to protect their friends + neighbors from being targeted by ICE, but abusive preemption blocking sanctuary city policies is leading to conflict between municipalities & the state attorney general. Get the facts: statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...

It’s been a long legislative session – lawmakers have now introduced over 950 abusive preemption bills impacting our democracy. We release our full 2026 legislative report later this summer – until then, learn about the trends in our mid-session report: www.supportdemocracy.org/the-latest/2...

The erosion of prosecutorial independence is dangerous for democracy, normalizing the idea that policy disagreement and politics alone are sufficient grounds to override local elected officials. Learn more via @prosecutorsact.bsky.social ⚖️ prosecutorsallianceaction.org/wp-content/u...

What does it mean to celebrate Juneteenth as many Southern state legislatures work to revive the Confederacy by suffocating local democracy & targeting municipalities governed by Black people? Read this by @advancementproject.org on the legacy of Juneteenth: www.supportdemocracy.org/the-latest/j...

Communities want their lawmakers to restrict AI data centers due to concerns about the environmental impact, health risks, & more. But state legislatures around the country are banning localities from blocking AI data centers. Learn more: prismreports.org/2026/05/18/m...

TN lawmakers have pushed forward egregious abusive preemption this year, with a number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills that target trans communities – & 2 bills that would track trans adult healthcare and move trans women into men’s prisons just became law. Learn more: wpln.org/post/tenness...

Since the start of the second Trump admin, we’ve tracked a record number of abusive preemption bills – which are harming our democracy & driving our slide towards authoritarianism. Learn more in this @theprogressivemag.bsky.social interview with LSSC’s Katie Belanger: progressive.org/latest/the-p...

FL AG Uthmeier is threatening public officials with personal lawsuits after a police department tried to ban firearms at a street festival – which municipalities aren’t allowed to do because of abusive preemption laws around gun regulation. Learn more: www.tampafp.com/florida-ag-t...

We’ve tracked over 900 abusive preemption bills in 2026, & the most egregious preemption efforts have been driven by FL, OK, and TN – often through anti-LGBTQ+, anti-immigrant, & anti-business regulation legislation. Get the facts via @theprogressivemag.bsky.social: progressive.org/latest/the-p...

AI companies have been pressuring state legislatures to block local governments from any AI regulations, even when communities want protections. Learn more in this @routefifty.bsky.social piece interviewing Leslie Zellers from our legal team: www.route-fifty.com/artificial-i...

Earlier this year, the City Council of Tucson, AZ passed a law to prevent ICE agents from using city-owned properties without a warrant. Now, the legislature is considering ways to use abusive preemption to force them to cooperate with ICE. Get the facts: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Not all preemption is bad, but many state governments are ABUSING preemption to restrict the power of local governments & undermine our democracy. Learn more via a recent interview with our Lead Consultant Katie Belanger & Jennifer White on @npr.org's 1A: www.npr.org/2026/05/06/n...

The last few weeks in Nashville have been an outright assault on local authority across TN through abusive preemption. State lawmakers just passed laws impacting local control of airports, utility boards, immigration, taxes, and more. Get the facts: wpln.org/post/assault...

This year, our team started tracking AI-related abusive preemption following a slate of bills across nine states that block municipalities from restricting data center development, regulating AI usage, & more. Read this great piece from Route Fifty 📡 www.route-fifty.com/artificial-i...

“Local authority is being steadily narrowed not through a single sweeping reform, but through a series of targeted legislative interventions that collectively reshape the balance of governance.” Home rule is under attack in Arizona. Learn more: azcapitoltimes.com/news/2026/05...

It’s #BraveOfUs to lead in moments like these. Lately, we’ve been featuring some of our inspiring, powerful, and brave first-generation immigrant members of LP 💖 Today, the amazing Durham At-Large City Councilmember Javiera Caballero!

The OH Senate recently passed an abusive preemption bill that would let Ohioans sue local governments to cover legal fees if they challenge local gun control laws deemed unconstitutional or in conflict with state law. Get the facts on this dangerous bill: www.cleveland.com/open/2026/04...

“Welcome to the new era of preemption.” Local governments are increasingly being overridden at the state level as legislators cite economic development as justification for top-down control. These trends are harming our democracy – get the facts: www.eenews.net/articles/cap...