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  Eminent domain issue may hit ballot [in Ohio]
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Last EditedNone Entered  Nov 25, 2006 01:28pm
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News DateSaturday, November 25, 2006 07:00:00 PM UTC0:0
DescriptionCOLUMBUS - Ohio voters may get to decide next fall whether to restrict government's ability to seize private property for economic development.

State lawmakers could put a constitutional amendment on the November 2007 ballot before the end of the year that would keep governments from using economic development as a justification for seizing people's homes.

Responding to recommendations of a task force that the Legislature formed in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's controversial Kelo decision, the amendment also would forbid governments from using the increased revenue they might make in ceding land to a private developer as evidence that the property is "blighted."

"That was exactly what was the heart of the matter in the Kelo situation," said Jason Warner, an aide to Rep. Bob Gibbs, a task force member pushing the amendment. "Government was going into areas where it was not necessarily blighted, but they could make more money off of the property as a shopping mall than as a residential development."

Gibbs and Sen. Tim Grendell, who co-chaired the Ohio task force, alerted fellow lawmakers of their intention to introduce the amendment in memos issued last week. Grendell's memo said he is crafting a bill for introduction by next week to complement the proposed amendment that would lay out specific procedures for government takings of private land, including the definition of blight.

Rep. Bill Seitz of Green Township, who co-chaired the task force with Grendell, said passing the issue during the lameduck session would give opponents of the measure ample time if they want to put together their own amendment.

"I'm of the mind what when we have a blue-ribbon task force and they come out with recommendations, you should move on the recommendations before it becomes just another report gathering dust somewhere," he said.
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