NYTimes: States Are Silencing the Will of Millions of Voters

This blog originally appeared at The New York Times.

States Are Silencing the Will of Millions of Voters

The upcoming bill, expected to be signed by Governor Greg Abbott of Texas, has raised concerns about limiting the autonomy of cities within the state. The bill would significantly curtail the ability of cities to govern themselves, stripping them of the power to establish local workplace standards, safeguard civil rights, and enhance their environments. This would effectively undermine the authority of local officials elected by voters to carry out these responsibilities.

If enacted, the bill would invalidate any city ordinance or regulation that contradicts existing state policies in these key areas. It would also grant private citizens and businesses the right to file lawsuits and seek damages if they perceive discrepancies between city and state regulations. Consequently, cities would be unable to enact measures such as prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ employees, implementing rules to curb predatory payday-lending practices, or addressing issues like overgrown lots, unsafe festivals, or inadequate waste storage. Local worker protections, including essential provisions like water breaks for laborers in the Texas heat, would also be prohibited.

Proponents of the bill, including business lobbyists and Republican legislators, argue that its purpose is to eliminate conflicting regulations within the state. However, the presence of such conflicting regulations primarily exists in a few predominantly Democratic cities within an overall conservative state. This bill represents the latest endeavor by Republicans to eradicate any policies that clash with their conservative agenda, even if those policies have garnered substantial support from the voters in those cities who elected representatives to act in their best interests.

Already the state won’t let cities ban discrimination against low-income renters, and it prohibits them from cutting their police budgets. Dozens of other bills have been introduced to restrict election reforms by Texas cities and counties, including one that would let an official, most likely a Republican, overturn election results in a single place: largely Democratic Harris County, which includes Houston. “The bill is undemocratic,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg of San Antonio told The Texas Tribune. “It is probably the most undemocratic thing the legislature has done, and that list is getting very long. Local voters have created city charters, and I can’t imagine that they will be pleased to have their decisions usurped by lawmakers.”

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