Congress to consider eminent domain reform

Very soon, the House Committee on the Judiciary will mark-up H.R. 3135, Congressman Sensenbrenner’s Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2005. This bill would respond to Kelo v. New London Supreme Court ruling by withdrawing federal funds that support the use of eminent domain for private development. A mark-up is the time that language may be added or changed, so the Committee will be looking at issues like whether federal funds should be withdrawn from projects or from cities that take property for private development and also under what circumstances to allow federal funds to be used for eminent domain (utilities, blight, etc.?)