Abuse of Power: How the Government Misuses Eminent Domain

Mr. Greenhut talked about his book Abuse Of Power: How The Government Misuses Eminent Domain, published by Seven Locks Press. In June 2004, his book documented this growing use of local government power to seize property for the use of private developers. A year later, in June 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Kelo v. New London that local governments may force private property owners to sell to make way for private economic development, even if the property is not blighted. In response, many states have passed legislation and proposed amendments to their state constitutions to block this governmental power over the rights of property owners. Timothy Sandefur submitted a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of property owners in the Kelo case. In addition, he consulted in the drafting of State Senator Tom McClintock’s proposed constitutional amendment to limit eminent domain in California. The panelists discussed the various ways governments have abused the power of eminent doma close