Texas ‘preemption’ bills escalate war between liberal cities, conservative legislature

[corbe]

Texas ‘preemption’ bills escalate war between liberal cities, conservative legislature

BY SAUL ELBEIN - 03/23/23 6:00 AM ET

AUSTIN, Texas – New legislation is heating up the long-running cold war between Texas’ relatively progressive cities and its GOP-dominated legislature.

Local officials across Texas are worried that far-reaching state bills could roll back their attempts to ensure construction workers get rest breaks in Texas’ searing heat, to run no-kill animal shelters and to maintain local water quality.

GOP sponsors and conservative groups say companion bills HB2127 and SB814, which would prevent local governments from passing or enforcing local rules in several critical areas “unless explicitly authorized by statute,” would protect Texas business owners from an unprecedented and aggressive overreach by the state’s booming, blue-tinged cities.

But local officials and urban advocacy groups contend the legislation would strip cities of their ability to regulate a broad range of environmental, labor and health and safety concerns.

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https://thehill.com/policy/equilibrium-sustainability/3912877-texas-preemption-bills-escalate-war-between-liberal-cities-conservative-legislature/

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

This is where these battles are supposed to happen, between states and local government, not the federal government. Federalism at it's finest.

[Free Vulcan]

Cities and counties aren't really give position in the US Constitution. States are.

While I'm for local govt, there also needs to be an understanding that they need to stay between the guide rails, i.e. state legislation. The Founders didn't want FedGov tyrants or urban tinpot dictators every 25 miles.