Top Legislative Leaders Call on Federal Government to Respect State Authorities During Inaugural Assembly in Columbus, Ohio

COLUMBUS, OHIO-A bipartisan group of more than 40 top legislative leaders representing more than 30 states issued a declaration on the restoration of federalism and state empowerment at the inaugural convening of the Assembly of State Legislative Leaders in Columbus, Ohio, on Monday.

The group of Republican and Democratic leaders called for the respect of the constitutional division of powers between the states and federal government, opposed federal preemption of state laws, and urged the federal government to take action to preserve the states' role as laboratories of democracy.

Leaders discussed a series of issues related to federalism-including Medicaid, education and land management-and agreed to continue pursuing bipartisan consensus on declarations to be considered at a future convening.

In their organizing session, the leaders adopted their rules of procedure and unanimously elected Ohio House of Representatives Speaker Matt Huffman (R) and Hawaii Senate President Ron Kouchi (D) as presiding officer and recording secretary, respectively. The National Conference of State Legislatures served as the convening facilitator of the Assembly.

"We have accomplished the first of what I hope is a long list of future declarations from state legislative leaders," Huffman said. "This meeting was a first of its kind, and I'm hopeful we will continue these conversations across the nation."

"I am pleased the top state legislative leaders from both parties were able to come together and have a candid, practical conversation about how we can better preserve and strengthen the role of the states within our constitutional framework," Kouchi said. "Coming together is a responsibility of legislative leaders charged with preserving institutional trust and functionality. This first meeting was a good beginning."

The text of the assembly's unanimously adopted declaration on federalism follows:

Approved by the Assembly of State Legislative Leaders

Dec. 15, 2025 | Columbus, Ohio

Whereas, Article I of the United States Constitution establishes American federalism as the constitutional framework that balances power between the federal and state governments to protect liberty, justice, domestic tranquility, common defense and general welfare; foster accountability; and encourage innovation; and

Whereas, the Constitution does not create the states but rather the states created the Constitution, ratifying a framework in which we would both govern collectively and independently. The Constitution enumerates the powers of the federal government-including the creation of a single currency, the regulation of interstate commerce, and the ability to declare war-while the Tenth Amendment explicitly reserves those powers not delegated the federal government and not prohibited to the states to be reserved for the states or to the people; and

Whereas, the legislative branch serves as the guardian of democratic ideals standing as the cornerstone of representative democracy, entrusted with the authority to enact laws that reflect the will of the people and safeguard individual liberties; and

Whereas, federalism protects liberty, justice, domestic tranquility, common defense and general welfare, enhances accountability, and fosters innovation through state-level policy experimentation. Sharing power between levels of government strengthens America's ability to craft responsive policies in a changing world; and

Whereas, excessive federal preemption and unfunded mandates erode state authority and undermine the constitutional balance between the states and the federal government; and

Whereas, we, as legislative leaders, maintain that adherence to federalism precepts is important to restore the balance between the federal government and state legislatures, ensure collaboration that respects state roles and limits unnecessary federal intrusion into state sovereignty; and

Whereas, President Ronald Reagan and President William Clinton each issued Executive Orders that affirm and strengthen states' roles in our federal system, safeguard against federal agency overreach and clarify the proper responsibility of federal agencies to consult with states prior to rulemaking. These executive orders respect state authority and experimentation and should be incorporated into all federal agencies' rulemaking processes;

Now, Therefore Be It Resolved, that we, the members of the Assembly of State Legislative Leaders, maintain that federal agency rules, congressional legislation, and executive orders must respect the constitutional division of powers and encourage diversity in state policy without imposing uniformity; and

Let It Be Further Resolved, we oppose federal preemption of state laws except when a direct conflict with the Constitution arises or the issue cannot be effectively addressed at the state level; and

Let It Be Further Resolved, we urge Congress to conduct periodic reviews of the state of American federalism to assess the impact of proposed legislation on state sovereignty; and

Let it Be Further Resolved that Congress must codify these federalism executive orders to protect states' ability to remain the laboratories of democracy.