Author Archives: Tessa Zavala

Arizona’s governor vetoed a bill that would have prohibited land ownership by persons/entities from China. The  veto letter for Senate Bill 1109 states,“However, this legislation is ineffective at counter-espionage and does not directly protect our military assets.Additionally, it lacks clear implementation criteria and opens the door to arbitrary enforcement.” AZ Mirror | Hobbs vetoes bill banning […]

Oklahoma’s Governor is deciding whether to sign a bill, HB 2752, that prohibits the use of eminent domain by wind turbines energy facilities, solar energy facilities, battery storage facilities, hydrogen gas facilities, orother renewable energy facilities on private property. Oklahoma Energy Today | Bill to limit eminent domain by wind developers in Oklahoma sent to […]

Let’s look at opposition to a data center in West Virginia. There’s active opposition that argues the data center “will destroy this place”, harm tourism, harm nature, and that the data center is not being transparent with information to the local community. Data center representatives say it will be one of the largest data center […]

The Alabama Supreme Court recently held that a foreclosure sale that resulted in a price that was 15% of market value makes the foreclosure presumptively invalid. If foreclosure sales should be a better reflection of fair market value, perhaps the argument that eminent domain should also use a fair market value calculation isn’t farfetched. 

Russia is granting property rights to cryptocurrency.  Over/under on legislation like this in the U.S.? By granting property rights to crypto, Russia can seize crypto. DigWatch | Crypto assets to be treated as property in Russia

 HF 639 is awaiting the Governor’s signature. The bill prohibits the use of eminent domain for CO2 pipelines, policy arguments included not allowing eminent domain for private gain. In Iowa, the ethanol industry opposes the bill and is pushing a veto. Des Moines Register | Legislators listened to the people of Iowa. It’s up to Kim […]

KB Home is marketing a San Diego area neighborhood, Dixon Trail, as “the first purpose-built “wildfire resilient neighborhood” in the United States.” The building specifications follow the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, a research nonprofit funded by the insurance industry. These standards include healthy buffers between each building and scant flammable vegetation. Governing […]

The Louisiana Legislature brought a private property rights bill back from the dead this week. The bill protects private property rights by not allowing eminent domain for the building of CO2 pipelines.  Louisiana Illuminator | Private property owners could get protection from carbon dioxide sequestration pipelines

California cities are embracing AI to automate certain permitting and compliance to build residential housing. The City of Carona partnered with Blitz Permits to use “AI to check electronic permitting documents for errors or missing data, comparing them to the city’s housing and development policies that were used to build and train the model.” The […]

Republicans in the Iowa State Senate took a stance against using eminent domain which turned into this same group preventing passage of the state budget. Messaging from the group said “the government is for individuals and not corporations” and others “called the use of eminent domain “unjust and unconstitutional.” OK Energy today | Iowa Senators take […]