This letter to the editor by Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillium was published in The Tallahassee Democrat, February 5th, 2018.
It’s no secret that Florida’s cities and counties are under attack. The Florida Constitution gives local governments broad “home rule” powers to deal with local issues and priorities. For decades, Florida’s communities have taken pride in local laws that provide local solutions, while reflecting our state’s unique values and needs. In recent years, corporate special interests have upended that rich history of local control. They’ve pushed for increasingly extreme state laws that preempt cities and counties from passing laws that corporations disagree with — often at a cost to the health, safety, and economic well being of local residents. MORE…