All Resources — Local Solutions Support Center

Principles of Home Rule for the 21st Century

This groundbreaking new framework lays out a vision for rebalancing state and local relations, and provides model constitutional language to encourage legal reform.

LegalAdam PolaskiFebruary 13, 2020Home Rule, Report, General, Home Rule Reform

Messaging Guide: Home Rule for the 21st Century

This guide provides topline messages, best examples, and language do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when talking about HR21, or Principles for Home Rule in the 21st Century. The Principles call for a presumption of local authority and lay out a roadmap for strengthening local self-governance, local competence, and local fiscal stability.

LegalAdam PolaskiFebruary 10, 2020

Florida Gun Preemption Amicus Brief – First District Court of Appeal of FL

This December 2019 amicus brief in the case ‘State of Florida v. City of Weston, FL” deals with Florida and gun safety preemption.

Amicus Brief, LegalAdam PolaskiDecember 27, 2019Florida, Gun Safety

Repealing Preemption: Defending Local Democracy Now Includes A Growing Focus on Recovering Lost Local Authority

This white paper captures how defending local democracy now includes a growing focus on recovering lost local authority and summarizes key lessons learned so far in the fight to repeal existing preemption.

Legal, White PapersAdam PolaskiDecember 1, 2019General, White Paper

Maryland Resolution Calling for Stronger Local Democracy

This model ordinance from Local Maryland encourages local governments to pass laws that support healthy families, a clean environment and good jobs.

Legal, Model ResolutionsAdam PolaskiSeptember 1, 2019Maryland, General

Austin Paid Sick Leave Amicus Brief – Texas Supreme Court

This July 2019 amicus brief in the case ‘City of Austin v. Texas Association of Business’ deals with preemption of Austin’s paid sick leave policy.

Legal, Amicus BriefAdam PolaskiJuly 15, 2019Texas, Labor, Paid Sick Leave

New Orleans City Council Resolution Promoting Local Control Over Minimum Wages.

Localities can look at this New Orleans City Council resolution as a model for empowering local governments to set their own minimum wages and worker protection policies.

Model Resolutions, LegalAdam PolaskiApril 11, 2019Louisiana, Minimum Wage, Labor

The State Assault on Local Sanctuary Policies

There is now an active anti-sanctuary movement aimed at eliminating the discretion that local communities have traditionally exercised over their involvement in the federal immigration enforcement efforts.

Legal, White PapersAdam PolaskiNovember 1, 2018Immigration, White Paper

Austin Paid Sick Leave Amicus Brief – Court of Appeals for the Third District of Texas

This September 2020 amicus brief in the case ‘City of San Antonio & Marilyn Washington v. Associated Builders & Contractors of South Texas’ deals with preemption of San Antonio’s paid sick leave policy.

Amicus Brief, LegalAdam PolaskiOctober 2, 2018Texas, Labor, Paid Sick Leave

Cleveland Local Hire Law Amicus Brief – Ohio Supreme Court

This October 2018 amicus brief (by the Campaign to Defend Local Solutions) in the case ‘Cleveland v. Ohio’ deals with preemption of Clevaland’s local hire law.

Legal, Amicus BriefAdam PolaskiOctober 1, 2018Ohio, Labor

Gerrymandering and Local Democracy

It is essential that state legislatures accurately represent the statewide public’s views when legislating with respect to local power. In too many states, highly gerrymandered state legislatures do not accurately represent the public’s views.

Legal, White PapersAdam PolaskiAugust 1, 2018Voting, White Paper

Punitive Preemption: An Unprecedented Attack on Local Democracy

All preemption laws are in tension with local democracy, but punitive preemption is especially threatening. Many state preemption laws are vague around the edges; some may violate the state’s constitution or legal doctrines.

White Papers, LegalAdam PolaskiJuly 2, 2018White Paper, General

The Attack on American Cities

This Article describes this politics by way of assessing the nature of—and reasons for—the hostility to city lawmaking. It also provides a current accounting of state preemptive legislation and assesses the cities’ potential legal and political defenses.

LegalAdam PolaskiJuly 1, 2018Essays, General

The Challenge of New Preemption

This Essay examines the spread of the new preemption and explores the legal doctrines available to local governments for challenging it.

LegalAdam PolaskiJune 1, 2018Essays, General

Repealing Preemption and Advancing Non-Preemption Language in State Law: Examples

This fact sheet details two straightforward approaches that can be pursued through ballot initiatives or statewide legislation to do so.

LegalAdam PolaskiApril 1, 2018General, Model Policy, Produced with A Better Balance

Pittsburgh Paid Sick Leave Amicus Brief – Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

This February 2017 amicus brief in the case ‘Pa. Rest. and Lodging Ass’n v. Pittsburgh’ deals with preemption of Pittsburgh’s paid sick leave policy.

Amicus Brief, LegalAdam PolaskiFebruary 21, 2018Pennsylvania, Labor, Paid Sick Leave

Cleveland Local Hire Law Amicus Brief – Court of Appeals for the Eighth District of Ohio

This August 2017 amicus brief (by the Campaign to Defend Local Solutions) in the case ‘Cleveland v. Ohio’ deals with preemption of Clevaland’s local hire law.

Legal, Amicus BriefAdam PolaskiAugust 17, 2017Ohio, Labor