The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to allow eminent domain to separate land owners from their property for private commercial use to increase a city's tax revenue will be counterbalanced by the Texas legislature's recent special session. Gov. Rick "Goodhair" Perry has made this issue a part of the "call". This should be a slam-dunk law for the Texas legislature to pass.
The reason that this law is required is because government has always had the right to take your property for public use when they need to build a road or other public work. It was never technically possible for a private citizen or commercial entity to strong-arm another owner who would not otherwise sell, to give up their land. Of course, with good connections and other tactics, it could and probably did happen in the past. The Supreme Court ruling gave such tactics the green light. At first, it seems like this was a bad ruling. However, this is a great thing to have happened for those supporters of states' rights. The ruling allows eminent domain for commercial use in only those states that don't prohibit it. So it essentially sent the problem back to the states to hammer out on their own.
The reason that this law is required is because government has always had the right to take your property for public use when they need to build a road or other public work. It was never technically possible for a private citizen or commercial entity to strong-arm another owner who would not otherwise sell, to give up their land. Of course, with good connections and other tactics, it could and probably did happen in the past. The Supreme Court ruling gave such tactics the green light. At first, it seems like this was a bad ruling. However, this is a great thing to have happened for those supporters of states' rights. The ruling allows eminent domain for commercial use in only those states that don't prohibit it. So it essentially sent the problem back to the states to hammer out on their own.
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