FEATURED: FIREARMS & VOTING RIGHTS
There is currently intense pressure behind preemption efforts as many state legislative sessions wind down. While there is some positive movement on the preemption repeal front, the vast majority of these stories concern state preemption threats. In this issue, we highlight two of the hottest state preemption issues, gun policy and voting rights.
Firearms
The lack of strong and effective gun laws in most of the 50 states is a core challenge to safety and the peaceful exercise of democracy, and the single greatest challenge to adopting those laws is state preemption. All but seven US states preempt local authority to regulate firearms and ammunition, and while preemption threatens progress on many issues, firearms preemption remains the greatest threat we face today.
Preemption blocks the adoption of straightforward and proven policies, including owner licensing and firearm registration. While these laws are supported by the vast majority of Americans, all progress at the local level is blocked in 43 states. The following news stories represent a sample of the current reporting on both adopted preemption laws and new threats.