States have banned local ordinances on minimum wage increases, paid sick days and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. They’ve banned “sanctuary cities.” They’ve even banned a number of bans (it’s now illegal for Michigan cities to ban plastic bags, for Texas towns to ban fracking). When cities overstep their bounds, he said this year, they “should have to pay a price for it.”Where States Curb Local Control Policies in these states block or limit local laws. Cleveland, in other words, was trying to ensure that local projects created local jobs, alleviating local poverty. They disagree on who started the fight: states in stripping municipal power, or cities in seizing new roles that weren’t theirs to begin with.

Source: New York Times July 06, 2017 07:30 UTC