Source: https://municipal.uslegal.com/police-powers/
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 12:48:21+00:00

Document:
The sovereign power of a state includes protection of safety, health, morals, prosperity, comfort, convenience and welfare of the public. In the U.S., the authority to regulate local matters concerning health, safety, and morality of state residents is reserved to states under the Tenth Amendment to the constitution. The basic right of governments to make laws and regulations for the benefit of their communities is police powers. Police power is defined as the power of a governmental body to impose laws and regulations which are reasonably related to the protection or promotion of a public good such as health, safety or welfare[i]. Usually states delegate to their political subdivisions the power to enact measures to preserve and protect safety, health, welfare, and morals of the community.
The right to exercise police power is an attribute of sovereignty. Police power is of vast and undefined extent and municipalities have wide discretion while exercising it[ix]. However, although broad, police power is subject to restrictions of state and federal constitutions. Police power should not infringe protections contained in the U.S. constitution.
[i] Shreveport v. Restivo, 491 So. 2d 377, 380 (La. 1986).
[ii] Homewood v. Wofford, 232 Ala. 634, 636 (Ala. 1936).
[iii] Craig v. Macon, 543 S.W.2d 772, 774 (Mo. 1976).
[iv] Cedar Falls v. Flett, 330 N.W.2d 251, 255 (Iowa 1983).
[v] Mayor, etc., of Chattanooga v. Norman, 92 Tenn. 73, 78 (Tenn. 1892).
[vi] State ex rel. Walmar Inv. Co. v. Mueller, 512 S.W.2d 180, 184 (Mo. Ct. App. 1974).
[vii] Brennan v. Seattle, 151 Wash. 665, 668-669 (Wash. 1929).
[viii] Vermont Salvage Corp. v. St. Johnsbury, 113 Vt. 341, 349 (Vt. 1943).
[ix] Porter v. Paris, 184 Tenn. 555, 558 (Tenn. 1947).
[x] President Riverboat Casino-Missouri, Inc. v. Missouri Gaming Comm’n, 13 S.W.3d 635, 641 (Mo. 2000).

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