Doolittle: House Protects Private Property Rights, Prevents Eminent Domain Abuses
California Political Desk
November 04, 2005
WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Republican Conference Secretary John T. Doolittle (R-Roseville) voted last night to protect the private property rights of Americans by preventing the federal government from using "economic development" as a justification for exercising its power of eminent domain.
Doolittle is a co-sponsor of the Private Property Rights Protection Act which enhances the penalty for states and localities that abuse their eminent domain power by denying them all federal economic development funds for a period of two years.
The Private Property Rights Protection Act passed the House 376 to 38.
In the recent case, Kelo v. City of New London, the Supreme Court empowered the government to seize private property, including someone's own home, and transfer it to another private owner as long as the transfer would provide an economic benefit to the community.
"The Supreme Court has given government the broad power to seize private property for any use so long as it generates tax revenue," Doolittle said.
"Historically, this type of 'eminent domain' action could only be done to build a highway, park, or public hospital for use by the general public," Doolittle continued. "However, in the case of Kelo v. City of New London, the Court redefined 'public use' as 'public benefit' thus allowing private homes to be seized, bulldozed and replaced with a strip mall or hotel or anything else that the government may determine to be in the public's benefit.
"In an effort to discourage these types of big-government seizures, I co-sponsored the Private Property Rights Protection Act which was recently passed in the House. This bill ensures that churches, homes, farms, and other private property cannot be bulldozed in abusive government land grabs and prevents the federal government from using 'economic development' as a justification for exercising its power of eminent domain," Doolittle concluded.
Doolittle is a co-sponsor of the Private Property Rights Protection Act which enhances the penalty for states and localities that abuse their eminent domain power by denying them all federal economic development funds for a period of two years.
The Private Property Rights Protection Act passed the House 376 to 38.
In the recent case, Kelo v. City of New London, the Supreme Court empowered the government to seize private property, including someone's own home, and transfer it to another private owner as long as the transfer would provide an economic benefit to the community.
"The Supreme Court has given government the broad power to seize private property for any use so long as it generates tax revenue," Doolittle said.
"Historically, this type of 'eminent domain' action could only be done to build a highway, park, or public hospital for use by the general public," Doolittle continued. "However, in the case of Kelo v. City of New London, the Court redefined 'public use' as 'public benefit' thus allowing private homes to be seized, bulldozed and replaced with a strip mall or hotel or anything else that the government may determine to be in the public's benefit.
"In an effort to discourage these types of big-government seizures, I co-sponsored the Private Property Rights Protection Act which was recently passed in the House. This bill ensures that churches, homes, farms, and other private property cannot be bulldozed in abusive government land grabs and prevents the federal government from using 'economic development' as a justification for exercising its power of eminent domain," Doolittle concluded.
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