Welcome to the Future!
A brewing legal dispute in Iowa highlights the momentum away from allowing eminent domain authority for pipelines, transmission lines, and other utilities that are privately owned.
An Iowa Attorney:
“The larger issue — what it really comes down to — is whether these guys have the power of eminent domain. this is not a utility, it is not public, it is not providing any necessary public service. A number of other cases have rejected such eminent domain arguments — the Bluegrass Pipeline…
Iowa- home the Presidential state fair and its fair share of pipelines. One Iowan expressed these views of the Ames Tribune:
“I see only corporate greed, trampling of private property rights and a threat to Iowa’s environment. Here’s my beef: show me the public good. “
His comments reflect tw growing eminent domain trends:
California’s Governor Jerry Brown has proposed water tunnels to move water around California. California farmers have water and the cities need it.
To accomplish this great water migration, California is proposing to use eminent domain against 300 farms to build the 30-mile-long tunnels that will reshape the delta formed by the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers.
Landowners are facing a 30 day window to either accept or reject 1, single, offer from the state according to…
Entering the SD 24 campaign is Christopher “C.J.” Grisham of Temple. He is the founder of Open Carry Texas, and has very specific views on private property rights.
Let’s take a peek, shall we? He says:
California is toying with leasing water rights to bring water to needed areas of the state. In California farmers generally have the water rights and the cities are in need of water.
The California farmers consider the water rights to be their private property and as such, they should be able to enter into agreements to lease those water rights.
This week, Representative Isaac said,
“You don’t go on top of people’s property and steal their property. That’s theft, and I feel it is the same way with protecting private property rights if you are going to go under someone’s property and take their water.”
A 2015 bill by Rep. Isaac requires well owners in the part of Hays County that is protected by a conservation district to register those wells with regulators.
The California Supreme Court last August ruled that if a project gets enough signatures to put it on the ballot, a city council can approve it without going to voters and without a California Environmental Quality Act review.
It is a ruling that is like sugar plm fairies dancing in the dreams of retail developers.
A 200 acre retail development in Carlsbad is moving forward under this ruling, side stepping requirements of state environmental review and voters.
Asheville, NC is considering new rules for short term rentals including:
The goal of the short term rental rules:
11 states are bandying about 36 pieces of legislation to gain state control over federal land management.
Supporters say the state should control land within its boundaries. Opponents, like the Center for Western Priorities issue reports entitled, “Going to Extremes: The Anti-Government Extremism Behind the Growing Movement to Seize America’s Public Lands.”
Polls say 52% support federal control over the public lands. But in these large western states, like Nevada where 85% of the…
Eminent Domain works much differently in Mexico. The options are (1) take the negotiation or (2) Presidential decree will swallow up your land without any payment.
To that end, a group of landowners, who own land in the path of the pipleine heading toward Big Bend, accepted an offer of $750/each for a pipeline easement.