Welcome to the Future!
The Texas Wildlife Association via the Hill Country Alliance raises the issue of private companies and eminent domain.
3 Points are stressed:
After a 3 month legal battle, the Houston church, represented by the Liberty Institute, announced that the Houston Housing Authority will not seek eminent domain action against the church’s land.
This leaves unanswered in Texas, which constitutional right trumps- freedom of religion or freedom from of having one’s property taken by the government. As loyal subscribers know, courts in other states have said religion trumps and have denied eminent domain.
A unanimous jury in Tarrant County found Texas owed Speedway Grapevine I LLC more than 16 times what it was compensated in an eminent domain proceeding.
Speedway Grapewine I LLC won a $4.5 Million judgment in an eminent domain suit.
Home sharing. Homeaway. AirBnB helps the local economy. According to an economic study by AirBnB, direct guest spending from guests accounts for $124 million in the last year.
Austin ordinance was approved by committee in September 2015. The proposal requires full city council vetting.
Austin Business Journal | Airbnb fights back over Austin’s short-term rental rules
Why the draw to land rights? Recently a land rights group won the Hilton Humanitarian Prize of $2 million in unrestricted funding, which set the trend in motion
Why land rights?
Inside Philanthropy | Land Rights in Poor Countries Is a Hot Cause for More Funders. Here’s Why
Yes, CATO estimates more than 1,000,000 homes have been taken since 2005 Kelo.
How did they get to 1,000,000+ homes if there is no national data base? CATO used the Census Bureau’s American Housing Survey.
CATO says the homes taken fall heavily on minority home owners.
What bill wants to limit eminent domain power in power line cases? Congressmen Boozman & Womack each filed the Assuring Private Property Rights Over Vast Access to Land, or APPROVAL, Act, which would rewrite Section 1222 of the 2005 Energy Policy Act
What is it they want to limit? Federal government eminent domain authority in power line construction.
Why do they want to limit federal eminent domain power? They want to shift leverage to the states in interstate power line…
No eminent domain for private gain has been echoing around the country. What happened this week:
The Legislature raising public use standard: South Carolina
The Problem that sparked the legislation: A controversial pipeline that upset property owners but the company behind it said eminent domain would be used for about 1% of the project.
The Legislation :“A private pipeline company would have to show the line is a public necessity — meaning it’s vital to the welfare of the people…
On Friday, Ocotber 23, 2015 St. Louis aldermen voted to approve eminent domain to retain a geospatial “spy agency” in St. Louis.
St.Louis Post-Dispatch | Eminent domain gets the OK so St. Louis can try to keep spy agency
What city is trying to retain an employer by using eminent domain?
St. Louis may lose…
Move-On.org, home to online petitions, has 44 eminent domain petitions, the overwhelming majority oppose development.
The most popular anti-eminent domain sentiments: