Texas Republicans take their epic battle against blue cities to a new level

For as long as he's been in office, Gov. Greg Abbott has waged war with Texas cities, warning that the state is being "California-ized" by local overregulation.

But until now, the offensive has stuck to single measures, like barring cities from regulating most oil and gas drilling or forcing landlords to accept federal housing vouchers. Republican lawmakers have pushed off more sweeping proposals, including attempts to prohibit local governments from passing any ordinance more stringent than state law.