DC conflict reflects wider efforts undermining local control

By ASHRAF KHALIL and GARY FIELDS
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The expected move next week in Congress to overturn District of Columbia laws dealing with criminal justice and voting has created a political tempest in the nation’s capital, with local activists decrying it as the latest effort to undermine the city’s ability to determine its own future. Yet the debate also reflects a larger political dynamic playing out across the country: Predominantly white legislative bodies seeking to curb or usurp the authority of local governments in cities with large Black populations, particularly on issues related to public safety and elections. Many of the moves are deeply intertwined with issues of race.