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NEW RESEARCH: “State Preemption: Threat to Democracy, Essential Regulation, and Public Health”

January 18, 2019

Modern preemption represents the convergence of industry-sponsored deregulation and an undermining of local democracy, with potentially dangerous consequences for public health. State legislatures have gone so far as to eliminate their own ability to act on a wide range of issues while preempting local control over these same issues. States …
NEW RESEARCH: Key Drivers of State Preemption of Food, Nutrition, and Agriculture Policy: A Thematic Content Analysis of Public Testimony

January 17, 2019

This study provides new evidence on the arguments made in support and opposition to preemption of food and agriculture policy. Like previous research, we found that proponents of preemption primarily argued that statewide or even federal standards were preferable and that preemption was necessary to protect businesses and consumers.18,19 Conversely, …
2019 UPDATE: State Preemption Map

December 2, 2018

The Preemption Watch Preemption Map tracks state preemption of eight major public health and safety issues. Click on any one of the eight issues to see which states preempt local control. Click on your state to see whether local authority has been preserved or preempted across the eight issues. Discrimination: …
The smell of money: Jim Crow lingers in factory farming

June 11, 2018

The Herald Sun, Gene Baur, May 30, 2018- Factory farming in North Carolina recently took a hit in a federal nuisance lawsuit when a jury awarded plaintiffs more than $50 million in damages in their case against Smithfield. As we’d expected, the agribusiness giant is appealing, and a judge has …
Interview: Beth Waitkus & the Insight Garden Program Part 2

October 24, 2017

For this two-part series, Grassroots Change interviewed Beth Waitkus, Founder and Executive Director of the Insight Garden Program, which works to transform prisoners’ lives through a connection to nature and hands-on gardening programs in prisons. During the past 15 years, the Insight Garden Program has expanded across California, to two …

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In the Words of Our Partners

“Shortly after… Denton, Texas pass a ban on hydraulic fracturing, we faced the preemption onslaught from the state. The team at Grassroots Change offered us key advice, resources, and social networking opportunities. They’ve helped educate and empower us. It’s great to know they have our back in this difficult battle.”

Adam Briggle, Associate Professor, University of North Texas, Frack Free Denton

“Grassroots Change has been a valuable partner… for our organization and network to support our movement, especially in countering preemption... We found the Preemption Map so successful in informing our network, that we republished it to our network leadership.”

Ellen Bravo, Director, Family Values @ Work

“Grassroots Change is THE authority on preemption and movement building. Their website is my go-to resource... My students love their materials!”

Shannon Frattaroli, Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Preemption Watch

Preemption Watch can help you better understand and counter preemption. We provide tools, research, and case studies to help you develop informed strategies to further your goals. Our bi-weekly newsletter provides timely coverage of state and fedearl threats.

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PITTSBURGH MOVE TO BAN SOME GUNS, ACCESSORIES COULD SPARK LEGAL FIGHT

Guns.com, Chris Eger, December 17, 2018- Democrats in the Steel City last week announced a package of laws they would like to enact to ban various firearms, magazines and the like, despite state laws against just such a move. The bevy of new ordinances proposed by the Pittsburgh City Council with the …

Allow cities like Philly and Pittsburgh to make their own gun laws | Editorial

The Inquirer, Editorial, December 17, 2018- In the six weeks since a lone gunman killed 11 people and wounded six others inside the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, there have been nearly three dozen mass shootings in the United States. As with previous mass shootings, lawmakers in Harrisburg have mostly shrugged …

Palmer: Many still confused about recycling rules

The Ledger, Tom Palmer, December 15, 2018- If you’re still tossing pickle jars, plastic water bottles, polystyrene cups and plastic bags into your curbside recycling bin, you’re part of a problem Polk County recycling officials are trying to figure out how to solve. Somehow, word of the changes that occurred …

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