Saturday, March 19, 2011

Nevada Wants Eminent Domain Over... the Feds?

Sweet.
From the Pahrump Valley Times: Concerns over constitutionality quickly dampened consideration of Assembly Bill 186, sponsored by Nevada District 36 Assemblyman Ed Goedhart, R-Amargosa Valley, which would allow the state to exercise eminent domain over federal land for renewable energy projects....
“The question becomes to whom did the citizens of Nevada give their sovereignty and I believe when we entered statehood that sovereignty rested with the people. We have a right at the Legislature to right a wrong that has been perpetuated on the people for too long,” Goedhart replied...
In his introduction to AB 186, Goedhart recalled his own ordeal, trying to obtain land from the federal government in Amargosa Valley, which took seven years and many thousands of dollars.
“This is the first piece of public property that was allowed to be sold to a private person in Amargosa Valley in a quarter century,” he said.
Ninety-eight percent of the land in Nye County is controlled by the federal government, Goedhart said. The hardest realization for renewable energy companies is that Nevada has a lot of land, but it’s not open for business, he said.

http://pvtimes.com/news/eminent-domain-bill-raises-constitutional-questions/
It would be nice if the State would use eminent domain against the Fed's and not just for renewable energy.
The Fed's have way too much land to begin with and they take more and more land each year from private citizens and state and local governments, with few benefits to the locals.
If the Fed's aren't using it then they should give the land back, unless there is a compelling reason why the feds need the land. This could be for park land, military and other reasons. But the land the feds hold onto for no particular reason should be turned over to the public or state and local governments who can use the land for local development or sell the land to the public. The state and local governments can also hold on to the land for things like parks, fire stations, and other uses.
It's time for the land grab to end by the feds and if the states have to use eminent domain to do end the practice, then so be it.
It's time for the states to recapture the land the feds have taken from them and I hope the bill that Assembly Rep. Ed Goedhart passes and survive the court challenges.

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