Written by: Beck
The Texas state legislature (naturally this happens in Texas--where else?) is very close to passing a law which will prevent local governments from using eminent domain powers to cease property for use in private development. In other words, they're creating legislation to specifically combat the erosion of property rights created by the Supreme Court's Kelo decision.
I love it.
Private property owners would be protected from state and local governments seizing their land for economic development purposes under a bill overwhelmingly approved by the Texas House Sunday night.
The bill, drafted in response to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing eminent domain seizures for economic development projects, gained final passage 136-0.
[...] The House version of the eminent domain bill was amended to stop the city of Freeport from seizing waterfront land from a family-owned shrimping company to make way for a private marina project.
The Senate has passed similar legislation, but differences must be worked out in a conference committee before midnight Wednesday when the special session ends.
When's the last time you saw any legislature anywhere pass any bill unanimously? That, my friends, is what I call a
good sign.
(Hat tip:
Mr. Minority)
