By Andrea Riquier, includes “… It’s not unusual for a state legislature to set limits on what cities can do. In the American system of federalism, cities are subsidiaries of the state, and plenty of states have restrictions in place similar to the one Barrett struggles with. But the issue, sometimes called ‘pre-emption,’ is getting more attention as some statehouse moves are increasingly seen as being motivated by politics, or even a racial enmity. …”