And it's a good bet ALEC is behind it:
If St. Louis feels ill-treated by state officials, it’s got lots of company around the country. North Carolina's legislature drew national headlines when it met in special session March 23 to block cities from passing anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The legislature acted in response to Charlotte's adoption of LGBT protections earlier in the year.
What was sometimes lost in the media coverage was the fact that the new North Carolina law also blocks cities from setting their own minimum wage rates. Similarly, Birmingham, Ala., passed a minimum-wage increase last year, only to see the state block it and other cities from setting their own rates this year.
The most frustrating part of this situation is how Republicans take advantage of "otherism" to retain their abusive power base. People in rural areas hold both contempt and fear of big cities, and are not likely to share any sympathy with them when state government engages in bullying. Freedom for some, tyranny for others. The GOP's "divide and conquer" approach does work, and it works well. And this quote from Larry Shaheen tells you all you need to know about their motives:
http://ift.tt/1LYS0e1
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