Jackson Free Press

After the Mississippi Senate passed Senate Bill 2230 today to restrict the use of eminent domain to direct public use, Gov. Haley Barbour released this statement tonight: "If the bill that passed the Senate today were to become law, it would be a major impediment to Mississippi's job creation efforts. Toyota would not be coming to Mississippi if this had been the law in 2007, and the Senators recognized that fact by an amendment they included in the bill."

The Clarion-Ledger editorialized against limiting eminent domain yesterday:

Misplaced political hysteria over a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision that broadened the uses for which a government entity can take property for public use has a strange coalition working feverishly to neuter Mississippi's reasonable, necessary eminent domain laws.

Eminent domain recognizes that some "taking" of property is for the public good. Governments have traditionally used that authority to build roads, reservoirs and other public projects. The U.S. Constitution says governments cannot take private property for public use without "just compensation" and that concept remains intact.

The judicial process remains a check-and-balance to ensure that private property owners are protected.

Previous Commentsshow

Barbour is really showing his true colors again. Private Business that are in it for the money are using Eminent Domain to force people to sell their land. this is going on right know with th Natural Gas Line Companies especially Gulf South Pipeline Company. They are using the threat of eminent domain to force private citizens to sell them their right a ways and easement for under the fair value of their land. They are using the Federal Government as a tool so that the land owners think that if they contest the selling of these easements that they will have to fight the US government when it's really the Pipeline Company. Their are several major gas line being constructed through the State of Miss if this bill past these gas companies cannot pad their pockets off the theft of our peoples land.

Tony Davis

Feb 10 2009

Nissan also tried to take away land when they were getting ready to build their Canton facility. JSU also tried the same thing last year with the quick-take bill, that would've allowed JSU to take away property and compensate property owners later to speed up the process of redeveloping the area around the campus.Kelo vs. New London (CT) helped open up the doors for this kind of action. That was the case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the city of New London, CT, to condemn private property to make way for redevelopment projects in that city. Eminent domain should only take place when building public projects, like roads, sewer, etc., not for the good of private developers. Barbour is showing his true colors, now that he can't run for re-election in 2011 (must sit out one term after serving two).

golden eagle

Feb 11 2009