Will Virginia Legislature Allow A Kelo Amendment To Be Voted On?
The citizens in Virginia are pressing the Legislature to again support placing an amendment limiting eminent domain activity. The State Legislature must pass placement of the issue on the State referenda ballot in two consecutive sessions. It is easier to support the legislation the first time around, because one knows that it will not be on the ballot with the first vote. However, this is the time for the Virginia legislature to take the citizens’ desires seriously.
While typically the town hall meeting with Loudoun's delegation to the General Assembly in advance of the annual session has brought only a handful of residents and activists, Wednesday night's meeting was attended by several dozen people who asked the delegates and senators to support the issues most important to them.
One issue that drew a lot of attention was the constitutional amendment that would reduce the government's ability to take private land through eminent domain that the constitutional amendment must pass during the 2012 session with the exact same language approved last year before it can go to a voter referendum. Speakers Wednesday night used the example of Crooked Run Orchard near Purcellville, and the land taken by the town for the Southern Collector Road, as an example of abuse of eminent domain powers by governments.
