November 28, 2007

Second eminent domain group to submit signatures

There may not be a lot for voters to decide on the June 2008 ballot. But Californians who head to the polls for the legislative primaries will likely have to unravel two complex initiatives that take aim at eminent domain, the power of government to seize private property.

Backers of the second of two competing eminent-domain measures announced today they are submitting more than 1.1 million signatures to qualify for the June 2008 ballot.

Supporters of today's measure, led by the League of California Cities, launched the initiative drive to head off another eminent domain initiative, for which signatures were submitted a week ago . That measure is backed by the California Farm Bureau and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

The League, and other proponents of today's measure, are calling the Jarvis and Farm Bureau initiative a "scheme" with a hidden agenda because of a provision tucked into the measure that would restrict rent control in California.

The supporters argue that government could use rent control to force owners to give up their land.

Last week, Bee columnist Dan Walters wrote about how the competing plans will cloud the debate on an already complicated topic.

In 2006, a third different eminent-domain measure entirely went before the voters. Proposition 90 lost with 47.6 percent of the vote.

All three measures came in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2005 Kelo v. the City of New London decision, which greatly expanded the government's eminent-domain powers.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on November 28, 2007 9:53 AM