Abbott wants "broad-based law" that preempts local regulations | The Texas Tribune: "CORPUS CHRISTI — As local control battles rage at the Texas Capitol, Gov. Greg Abbott is voicing support for a much more sweeping approach to the issues that have captured headlines.
"As opposed to the state having to take multiple rifle-shot approaches at overriding local regulations, I think a broad-based law by the state of Texas that says across the board, the state is going to preempt local regulations, is a superior approach," Abbott said Tuesday during a Q-and-A session hosted by the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute, an Austin-based think tank.
Such an approach, Abbott added, "makes it more simple, more elegant, but more importantly, provides greater advance notice to businesses and to individuals that you’re going to have the certainty to run your lives."
Abbott made the remarks in response to a moderator's question about legislation this session that would "prohibit any local ordinance from exceeding the standard set by the state.""
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Because conservative Republicans believe in devolving power to the local level...right up until Democrats control city governments, and then suddenly Republicans become big believers in having the state governments controlled by Republicans make all the decisions.
1 comment:
Seems to me the primary function of hierarchies of government should be to protect citizens from oppression at the lower levels. "Local control" should not mean "free reign to prey on citizens".
Texas is largely "hands off". But local governments are constantly coming up with schemes to rip off citizens.
Consider just one example which is a problem all over the U.S. - red light cameras and speed cameras. A vendor comes to the local government and convinces folks their that the system will make money for the local government at no cost to the local government. It requires the local government to implement an ordinance or regulation which is of course designed to deprive victims of any defense, jury, trial, etc. on the basis the owner of the vehicle is presumed liable for violation of an ordinance (not criminally liable for violating state law). These need to be addressed at the state level because time and time again has proven that local government is all too happy to deprive citizens of any rights for profit. Chicago's local government officials even went so far as to expect personal profit for one of these illicit schemes, see http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/redlight/ct-red-light-cameras-lawsuit-settled-met-20170206-story.html
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