Category Archives: Uncategorized

Legislators in South Dakota are calling for a special session to prohibit the use of eminent domain “to strip property rights from landowners for the benefit of an out-of-state private company with foreign investors.” The pro-private property rights legislators are joined by environmentalists who are concerned by safety and the potential environmental impact of the […]

A neighborhood in North Carolina named 1776 requires homeowners to display the U.S. flag 365/24/7. No other flags are permitted, including the state flag. Welcome to the world where neighborhoods are political statements. WFAE | New housing development in Gastonia requires ‘patriots’ to fly American flag

The Department of Energy has launched a $90 million grant program to help states and local governments update their building codes. Residential and commercial buildings make up 40% of the U.S. energy consumption. 35% of communities have modern building codes according to FEMA. The communities that do not have  modern building codes,  lost $32 billion […]

Los Angeles is creating a public bank to fund affordable housing. Supporters say the public bank will be more willing to fund affordable housing and “better than private banks to serve Black and Latino communities, small businesses, green energy initiatives.” Los Angeles has the power to do this because of 2020’s AB 857. Los Angeles […]

Florida’s SB 540 (2023 | FL) signed by Gov. De Santis is being called a way to  “level the playing field” for developers going up against local governments with large tax bases who might stretch out the time of the lawsuit and rack up expensive attorney fees, according to the bill’s author. For the bill’s opponents, it […]

 5 states have adopted building performance standards to address building energy efficiency. Oregon, Colorado, Maryland, Washington and the District of Columbia have all adopted building performance standards. California, Rhode Island, Minnesota and New York, are considering similar legislation. In Washington D.C. buildings are an estimated to be  75% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. Route […]

Dallas City Council has passed a short term rental ban for all single family residential neighborhoods. Short term rentals can operate in areas with multi family housing and commercial areas if they register and pay taxes like hotels do. Fox 4 | Dallas City Council bans short-term rentals from single-family areas

The Roberts led Supreme Court nixed a Minnesota tax lien sale where a local government sold a nice old lady’s home for $40,000 to satisfy a $15,000 tax lien and then the local government pocketed the remaining $25,000. The craziest part of this crazy story- the opinion was unanimous. I didn’t think the Justices could […]

Texas created the Land Owner Compensation Program, SB 1133 (2023 | TX) , to compensate border agricultural land owners for damage to their property caused by trespasser committing border crimes. The Big Bend Sentinel | Bill to reimburse landowners for damage caused by ‘border crimes’ signed into law 

Texas is seeking to use eminent domain to acquire a state park. Well, it was a state park for decades. The state leased the land from the property owner for a nominal fee. The lease terminated. Developers want to build. There were negotiations. Negotiations weren’t fruitful, and the state wants to keep its park. Here […]