railways – Page 3 – InfoHive

The judge’s words: The defendants (Texas Central Partners) and their agents are permanently enjoined from performing surveys or other studies which damage, alter or impair county maintained rights of way,”

What Grimes County says it does: prevents Texas Central Rail from exercising precondemantion surveys & Texas Central Rail does not have eminent domain authority

What Texas Central Rail says it…

What's ALEC saying about eminent domain and high speed rail?

ALEC on eminent domain for high speed rail:

“Of course, a great many public use transportation infrastructure projects ultimately need to use eminent domain to be able to reach completion. Specifically, railroads, including those in Texas, have long had to resort to eminent domain to provide a bene t to the public as have highways and other public infrastructure. And the truth is that trying to build a railroad (or highway) without some sort of eminent domain is nearly impossible. “

“Like the…

Sen. Huffines: 3 Reasons Eminent Domain for Private Companies is A-OK.

Private companies exercise eminent domain all the time in Texas with no gross mismangement
Private rail has exercised eminent domain for more than 100 years
Texas has property owner protections

Dallas Morning News | Why it’s perfectly appropriate to allow a private railroad to use eminent domain

Lege Trend. Eminent Domain Limits by Industry. Rail Industry edition.

State: Indiana

The eminent domain legislation:

heightens the public use standard
puts into state law a federal appraisal standard
limits the amount of land that can be taken, tying all the land to the public use

Northwest Indiana Times | Rail eminent domain changes win legislative approval

Indiana House Bill 1260 (2017)

1 Pending Texas Central Rail Landowner Lawsuit. 3 Things to Know.

A lawsuit from 78 year old property owner and a countersuit by Texas High Speed Rail had a hearing this week
What put them into court was whether the rail could have pre-condemantion access to the property to survey it
What kept them in court, when Texas Central Rail, had dropped other similar lawsuits, was that this lawsuit wanted Texas Central Rail to admit that it did not have eminent domain authority

No ruling yet from the Court.

KBTX | Leon County landowner meets high speed rail…

What all was said after the TX Senate Eminent Domain Bill Package?

“Many [Senators] still consider the privately financed plan a boondoggle”

Austin Business Journal | Bills targeting Texas high-speed rail spark debate in Senate Transportation Committee

The bill prohibiting eminent domain for high speed rail has been sent to Local and Consent.

Austin American Statesman | Bills stalling or stopping bullet train pass Texas Senate committee

Focused on the land owners experience. Including this quote from a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas and…

Show Me State. Show Me Property Rights. 3 Points informed: intel

demand responsible routing of utilities along property lines, boundary lines or section lines
require minimized land damage
Limits the amount of PSI exerted on soil

What supporters say: “protects our property rights from those who would steal our land for their own profit.”

How does the bill apply? It applies to all condeming entities BUT only to agricultural land.

Missouri HB 640 (2017)

Southeast Missourian | Mo. Agricultural bills

Eminent Domain by Private Entities is Crony Capitalism.

Tyler Morning Telegraph editorial opposing Texas Centrail Rail raises these 3 points:

This isn’t a rural-urban issue. This is a property rights issue.
You can’t say this is a private enterprise, promoting free market when you use eminent domain, because eminent domain is the opposite of free market.
This is crony capitalism with the government “thumb on the scale”

Tyler Morning Telegraph | Editorial: Texas bullet train an example of crony capitalism