LAUSR

Preemption—when a higher level of government withdraws or limits the authority of a lower level of government to enact policy—has become a leading threat to local governments’ ability to enact public health protections nationwide. Much of the research to date has focused on the divide between preemption proponents—industries that would be subject to local regulation but for preemption— and public health groups seeking appropriate regulation. In this issue of AJPH, Rutkow et al. (p. 1107) report the results of the first national survey of mayors and local health officials’ perspectives on preemption. This study provides new insight into the practical consequences of preemption for local public health policymaking and encourages examination of the role local policymakers may play to prevent and oppose preemption.