A Tallahassee research group wants state lawmakers to temper a trend of tying the hands of city and county officials by "preempting" local regulations.

The nonprofit group Integrity Florida issued a report Monday raising concerns that lawmakers, with the backing of powerful lobbying groups, are strategically attacking home-rule authority on issues ranging from sunscreen bans to regulating businesses.

Ben Wilcox, research director for Integrity Florida, said he was encouraged when Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill last year that would have blocked local governments from banning plastic straws. However, Wilcox said a trend of preemption measures is growing, with 119 bills filed during the past three legislative sessions that included some form of preemption and nearly 20 filed for the 2020 session, which begins next week.