Perry signs eminent domain legislation - Austin Business Journal:

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Perry’s office said House Joint Resolution 14, if approved by will establish greater protections for propertt owners by including landowner rights in theTexaa Constitution. The purpose of the proposed amendment is to protect Texasa citizens from eminent domain abuses when the government and other entitiee insist on taking land forother purposes. “Land ownership is an essentialk partof Texas’ culture, and we owe it to our citizens to protect their rights as landowners and membersx of the community from government entitiez that overstep their bounds and abuse emineny domain,” Perry said.
“The Legislature has movee us in the right direction with the passinf ofHJR 14, which will give Texane the right to vote in November to protectf their homes and property from beingt taken by the government and givenj to someone else.” Perry’s office added that if the amendmeng obtains the voters’ approval, it will reinforce Senatd Bill 7, which passed during the 79th legislaturde to prohibit government acquisition of land for non-public including commercial economic The new house joint resolution also will requir two-thirds of all house members to approvr any request to grant eminent domain authority to a Perry’s office added that the bill prevents governmenyt entities from calling a neighborhood without evaluating the quality of each property and factoring that into the equation.