A growing number of Texas legislators and interest groups are making eminent domain reform a priority in this legislative session. Unfortunately, the policies that they are supporting are nothing more than window dressing and will do nothing to actually protect property rights. The bills introduced so far are aimed at creating more transparency, accountability, and…
The new mantra for the purported defenders of property rights in Texas is transparency, accountability, and fairness. A recent article by Gordon Sauer, director, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, serves as a example. Sauer writes: In virtually every other area of public policy, there is a mechanism for the public to speak out and…
Once again, Texas lawmakers will consider bills aimed at a single, specific company–Texas Central. Of course, the three bills introduced so far do not specifically mention Texas Central . The bills address high speed rail. But there is only one high speed rail line proposed in the state, and it has been proposed by Texas…
Democrats and “Progressives” are not known for their defense of property rights. Indeed, most of their proposals involve the violation of the right to property. Yet, many Texans on the political Left have recently invoked property rights in their opposition to Republicans. On the other hand, Republicans have cited property rights in their opposition to…
Texas legislators have introduced a pair of bills aimed at reforming the state’s eminent domain laws. According to Rep. DeWayne Burns, one of the sponsors of the House version of the reform, “HB 991 will ensure Texas property owners are respected partners in building our critical infrastructure while preserving our strong tradition of property rights.”…
On January 3, Tucker Carlson delivered a diatribe ostensibly attacking the ruling class in Washington. But his real message was much more subtle, and much more sinister. It was, first and foremost, an attack on the free market. Like many other pundits, Carlson looks at the myriad problems plaguing America and blames the pursuit of…
One of the arguments against illegal immigration is that the “illegals” rape and pillage our social welfare system. “Illegals” take advantage of Social Security, government schools, hospitals, and countless other services provided by taxpayers. The critics seldom object to providing these services to American citizens. They believe that we are our brother’s keeper, and they…
President Trump has threatened to use the “military version” of eminent domain to seize the land required to build his border wall. Apparently, federal law allows for military department secretaries to “acquire any interest in land” if “the acquisition is needed in the interest of national defense.” More than 1,100 property owners in Texas are…
The process of exercising eminent domain is called condemnation. According to the Texas Property Code, If an entity with eminent domain authority wants to acquire real property for public use but is unable to agree with the owner of the property on the amount of damages, the entity may begin a condemnation proceeding by filing…
Once again, eminent domain has erupted into a political controversy in Texas. In its latest manifestation, Kinder Morgan proposes to build a 430-mile pipeline from West Texas to a suburb of Houston. As a “common carrier,” Kinder Morgan can use eminent domain to acquire access to the land needed to build the pipeline. Certainly, pipelines…
Education in America is a virtual monopoly of the government. As such, it is a highly politicized topic and controversy surrounds nearly every discussion about education. From funding to curriculum, from test scores to text books, there is little agreement between politicians, educators, taxpayers, and parents about how the nation’s schools should be operated and the…
For decades, legislative bodies have enacted laws that prohibit businesses and landlords from discriminating against an ever-growing list of individuals, such as ethnic and racial minorities, women, gays, the handicapped, and more recently, transgender individuals. Like many other issues involving the violation of property rights, anti-discrimination legislation is founded on fuzzy and imprecise thinking. It…