Cities have a tough time in state legislatures

Governing - Big cities have long had a hard time getting their way in state legislatures. But in a more partisan era, the lobbying job for mayors has gotten even harder.

The reason is that partisan divisions have become more aligned with regional ones. Most urban delegations are dominated by Democrats, while most rural and many suburban representatives are Republican. Two-thirds of the nation’s legislative chambers are held by the GOP. “It’s very hard to find a Democratic area that is not in a large or semi-large city in the state,” says Barbara Bollier, part of the Republican majority in the Kansas House.

Of course, there are still some rural Democrats and some urban Republicans. And generally, legislative leaders understand that big cities are important economic engines they must keep tuned up. But the lack of urban voices within many majorities means cities are bound to lose out on some appropriations. “When the urban economies are responsible for 70 percent of the state’s revenue, you would think we would get more respect, but we don’t,” says Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. “In our state, it seems like the easiest way for a rural legislator to score points at home is to take a shot at Oklahoma City...

There’s not much Democrats can do about it, either. “When you look at the General Assembly in Missouri” -- where Democrats are scarce outside St. Louis and Kansas City -- “there really isn’t much interest in urban issues,” says Peverill Squire, a political scientist at the University of Missouri. “And the Democrats have no way of getting many of their concerns on the agenda.”