Institute of Politics

In Nashville, the Republican dominated state legislature recently approved a bill to cut the city council in half. In Missouri, state lawmakers are considering legislation that would move control of the St. Louis Police Deparment from the city to the state. And in Illinois, local Republican officials remain frustrated over the Democratic majority's decision to rewrite the state's criminal justice laws. Whether a state is run by Democrats or Republicans, municipalities throughout the country - often led by members of the opposite party - have seen their local will undermined.

What do these conflicts between state and local governments mean for everyday citizens? How can public officials work across the aisle to cut through the conflict?

IOP Pritzker Fellow and former Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins will moderate a discussion featuring Nashville City Councilmember at-large Zulfat Suara and Orland Park, Illinois Mayor Keith Pekau