Shanahan: Eminent Domain Bill "Watered Down"

RALEIGH – Kieran Shanahan, Chairman of the N. C. Property Rights Coalition, today commented on House Bill 1965, which is scheduled to be heard by the N.C. Senate’s Judiciary I Committee this evening.

“Sadly, House Bill 1965 does not provide North Carolinians with adequate protection against eminent domain abuse,” Shanahan said. “Legislatures change, and any protection offered by House Bill 1965 can be easily undone by the whims of a future legislature. The people of our state deserve more than this watered-down bill; they deserve constitutional protection that will stand the test of time. That’s why we need an amendment to the state constitution to protect our private property from eminent domain abuse.”

“Just last month, the House Judiciary 3 Committee refused to hear a bill calling for an amendment to the state constitution to prevent governments from using eminent domain authority to take land for private economic development projects,” Shanahan added. “The bill was sent to the House Rules Committee to die without fair consideration.”

“The people of North Carolina deserve better. North Carolinians need more than a smokescreen – we need the kind of real protection provided by a constitutional amendment. Once again, I call on the members of the North Carolina General Assembly to do what is right by allowing our citizens to vote on a constitutional amendment to protect our private property from eminent domain abuse.”