Most people in the States are aware of the recent Supreme Court decision Kelo v. New London, where the Court determined that takings by a municipality for use by a private corporation was constitutional under the 5th Amendment. It appears that the ruling has evoked some action by the individual states to keep private corporations in check in light of this ruling.
According to this article, 23 different states have proposed 70 bills aimed at limiting the scope of Kelo. California, the article says, has two bills that would prohibit takings by private corporations. Texas, Delaware, Connecticut, and Minnesota would limit what could be taken under eminent domain.
I've played the advocate a couple times on a couple other blogs, where I've attempted to argue the benefit that comes from the recent ruling, and I can see benefit from it. As the linked article notes, economic development is certainly a function of the community, and in some of the older cities, there simply isn't room for development except in run-down parts of town - there's no space in the city limits for redevelopment. That being said, I don't like the decision, and I'm happy to see some action taking place immediately in the wake of the decision.
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