In this episode: Across the country, state-level politicians are hollowing out home rule, robbing communities of the freedom to make their own choices, and seizing power for themselves. They are doing it by weaponizing a legal tool known as “preemption.” Katie Belanger of the Local Solutions Support Center, an advocacy group that fights for home-rule rights, joins the show to talk about what preemption is and how states are abusing it.

Show notes

LSSC’s roundup of some of the most egregious preemptions that have passed around the country in 2025

A brief history of abusive preemptions in Florida

And a case study: No water, no shade: How homebuilders, farming companies and construction firms got politicians to reject heat rules for outdoor workers in Florida

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