Mariel Carbone
WCTV
Jan. 11, 2018
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV)– Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum spoke out against what he called a “war on cities,” Thursday.
Under his campaign, Defend Local Solutions, Gillum and several others spoke out against proposed bills that would preempt local government. Preemption is when a state law blocks local government from passing their own ordinances on the matter.
“It chills democracy at the local levels,” said State Representative Shevrin Jones. “This is contrary to our ideals of local control, freedom of speech and investing the power of our citizens to participate in a democratic process.”
“When you say that a community can’t go beyond that minimum to meet whatever the needs are of that community, it becomes suppressive to those communities,” said Gillum.
Gillum said cities like Tallahassee have a lot to lose if preemptive bills are passed.
“If the Legislature preempts us on water quality, that impacts the community. If they say we can’t create regulations around growth and development or sign ordinances, that impacts our city,” said Gillum. “So we need to remind the Legislature, and remind our community, that we’re all in this fight. Sometimes it feels removed because it’s the state Capitol. But, the repercussions of these decisions show up in every day decisions.”