Mapping Corporate State Interference

While attention focuses on Washington, aggressive corporate interests are systematically working at the state level to close critical avenues of power-building for poor people, people of color, women, LGBTQ individuals, and immigrants.

Their strategy: targeting local governments, which provide essential hubs of innovation, protection and progressive political power. The Koch Brothers-backed American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the architect of this strategy, has moved state legislators and courts to gut the ability of local governments in a vast number of states to alleviate unemployment, poverty and residential displacement and to protect their residents from threats to their health, safety and civil rights.  In many cases such state interference laws are being used as a tool through which largely white state legislatures both deny cities of color of self-determination and preserve longstanding racial inequities. 

To help shed light on this development, we created the interactive map below. Select an issue area to see which states block local standards and laws on that issue. Click on a state to see all interference legislation in that state. For further information, you can click through to the actual text of the statute.

Our partners at Grassroots Change have a companion map that covers issues related to public health. Please visit that site to learn more.

NOTE: the information presented through this website is not legal advice. For specific information regarding what is permitted in any given state, please consult with a knowledgeable attorney.