When deciding on a course of action, we must consider all of the known and relevant facts. We mustn’t consider the issue in isolation. We must consider the full context. This is true for an individual and it is true for a society. Considering the full context includes looking beyond the immediate moment. It means…
Reforming the state’s eminent domain laws has attracted a lot of attention from Texas legislators and interest groups during this year’s legislative session. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of confusion over what property rights are. For example, Billy Howe of the Texas Farm Bureau was recently quoted: The legislature gave them [entities with eminent…
With the Texas legislature in session, calls for reform of existing laws regarding property rights resound across the state. One of the primary targets is eminent domain. While the state’s current eminent domain laws certainly violate property rights and work against land owners, reform is not the solution. Reform means “to put or change into…
In the most recent legislative session, Texas lawmakers passed several bills intended to strengthen property rights. At the same time, they passed at least one bill that represents a gross infringement of property rights. That inconsistency indicates that legislators really don’t understand what the right to property means. Property rights protect our freedom to create,…