This land is your land
A bill that advanced this week would limit the power of cities and counties to seize private property, such as farmland, to develop industrial parks, but is less restrictive than other eminent domain legislation.
The bill would require local governments to certify the “public purpose and necessity” of seizing land. It is one of three dozen measures lawmakers have proposed on eminent domain following last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling to give a Connecticut city the authority to seize property for private development.
[snip]
Fowlkes’ bill specifies that public use “does not include private use or benefit or the indirect public benefits resulting from private economic development and private commercial enterprise.”
March 23rd, 2006 at 2:07 pm
Definitely a good first step. Here in the “Live Free or Die” state the legislature has approved an amendment to the state constitution to limit Eminent Domain. Now it just needs a 2/3 vote in Novemeber to be enacted. I’m really hoping this is a slam dunk.
March 24th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
What’s with the exemption for industrial parks? Industrial parks include plenty of private economic and commercial interests. What’s the difference between an industrial park and the development New London approved that spawned the Kelo case?