Home Rule
Local governments need the home rule authority to address the pressing problems facing their communities. And the new abusive state preemption suppresses local organizing for our agenda for racial and economic justice.

Our Vision and Work

Local governments must be able to pass laws and set standards that reflect the unique needs of their communities. 

But in many states, legislators are undermining local power by prohibiting – and in some cases, punishing – local governments from passing specific local policies. This type of abusive state preemption threatens local democracy and silences the voices of the people.

As a network of local elected officials, state interference impacts all the work we do. Instead of treating preemption in an issue silo, we weave proactive preemption analysis and strategy into all of our work. Our work in this area includes preemption analysis to inform local policy solutions and strategies, proactive strategies – including statewide campaigns, in anticipation of and response to abusive preemption.

SPOTLIGHT ON:

Communities Rising Up Against Corporate-Driven State Bans

Check out how communities and local leaders are exposing the corporations interfering in our freedom to care for one another. 

Blogs And Featured News

Photo of the Texas Capitol building in Austin lit up at night

Texas “Death Star” Law Ruled Unconstitutional Two Days Before Taking Effect

Local Progress Texas, the Texas AFL-CIO, Every Texan, ACLU of Texas, and Workers Defense Project stress that the Death Star Law directly contradicts Texas' core values of democracy and freedom.
Members of the Fe Y Justice Worker Center hold signs to protest House Bill 2127, dubbed the "Death Star bill," during a press conference at Houston’s City Hall on July 14. Credit: Douglas Sweet Jr. for The Texas Tribune

Texas local electeds are not giving up their fight for local democracy

Yesterday, nearly 60 local electeds from across the state of Texas banded together to once again tell the courts that they will NOT stand for the Death Star Law or any of the Texas Legislature’s efforts to undermine local democracy.
Two construction workers wearing hard hats looking at a project and speaking with one another.

Newly Proposed Federal Rule Change Would Enable Local Governments to Further Invest in Good Jobs for their Communities

This week, nearly 40 local elected officials across the country showed their support for the newly proposed federal rule change in a letter to the Office of Management and Budget.

Spotlight On: Communities Rising Up Against Corporate-Driven State Bans

Check out this spotlight by our partners PowerSwitch Action on how communities and local leaders are exposing the corporations interfering in our freedom to care for one another.

Resources

Want to Get More involved?

Check out our steering committees! Our work is member-led and our issue steering committees offer a big picture perspective on LP’s programmatic work.