A broad coalition of stakeholder groups are building momentum to fight together against state proposals to limit county and municipal authority to tailor policies locally.

LOCAL Maryland has formed as a coalition of multiple stakeholders across many disciplines, with a common aim to prevent state intrusion into, and preemption of, local matters. The group includes organizations focusing on issues of public health, environmental protection, and economic justice.

From the LOCAL Maryland website:

OUR MISSION

LOCAL Maryland is engaging community members and organizations across the state to improve the health and quality of life for all people by ensuring that local governments can pass laws that support healthy families, a clean environment and good jobs.

The group’s highest profile work during the 2019 session focused on the state’s minimum wage legislation, successfully ensuring that the state did not foreclose counties’ right to create additional locally-tailored legislation.

At a coalition strategy session this week, both MACo and MML staff attended and discussed next steps forward for the effort. Both organizations, clearly in tune with the overall message of local autonomy, expect to remain engaged and collaborative with the coalition efforts.

MACo has adopted as a policy priority a repeal of the inconsistently-applied “Implied Preemption” doctrine that has arisen in multiple court holdings from Maryland courts. A plan forward, toward potential remedial legislation, remains a matter of continued interest for Maryland counties.