A new constitutional amendment addressing eminent domain was introduced today in the state house. It has 47 sponsors (from my count).

The good news: It doesn’t make things worse like the previous amendment introduced last year. It should help to a very limited extent.

The bad news: It won’t address the primary means by which the government takes property for economic development: through blight laws. It also doesn’t address the fact that the government will always come up with a reason other than economic development to seize property, and courts will defer to the government and believe this alternative reason.

Learn more about real eminent domain reform here.

There have been eight state constitutional amendments passed since Kelo. The language of this amendment is clearly the worst.

Here’s the language:

Private property shall not be taken by eminent domain except for a public use. Public use does not include the taking of property in order to convey an interest in the property for economic development. Just compensation shall be paid and, if demanded, shall be determined by a jury.