Posted on 02/22/2003 8:43:16 AM PST by madfly
A bill significantly curtailing local eminent domain powers was approved Thursday by a legislative panel.
The Arizona House Committee on Federal Mandates and Property approved the legislation by a 6-3 vote.
The proposal, sponsored by House Majority Leader Eddie Farnsworth, allows localities to only take slum or blighted properties. Current law allows local governments to take properties for redevelopment purposes.
The bill would also make local governments hold onto those properties for 10 years before selling or leasing them to the private sector.
GOP leader Farnsworth says the bill is about protecting property rights from overzealous government powers. Eminent domain is the power of the government to take private property with "just compensation." The issue has been a contentious one in Mesa, where the city government ran into firestorm for trying to take a brake shop and turn it over to a hardware store chain.
Local governments and the League of Arizona Cities and Towns oppose the measure, fearing it will derail redevelopment efforts, especially in urban and downtown areas.
The bill is expected to pass the House but faces a tougher go in the more-moderate State Senate. City of Tempe government relations director Shannon Wihelmsen and Glendale Deputy City Attorney Jon Paladini said they will focus their opposition to the bill in the Senate.
Paladini said eminent domain powers allow the government to promote economic development, better housing and higher-paying jobs in struggling communities.
The Farnsworth bill will likely go through the Senate Government Committee. That panel is chaired by Republican State Sen. Jay Tibshraeny. Critics of the bill hope to find an ally in Tibshraeny, the former mayor of Chandler.
Farnsworth said he hopes to sit down with Senate leaders and find common ground on his proposal but added that local critics of his legislation have not come to speak to him about the issue.
For more information on HB2308, visit the Arizona legislature Web site at http://www.azleg.state.az.us.
jtibshra@azleg.state.az.us
Phone (602)542-4881, Fax 602-417-3152
The Farnsworth bill will likely go through the Senate Government Committee. That panel is chaired by Republican State Sen. Jay Tibshraeny. Critics of the bill hope to find an ally in Tibshraeny, the former mayor of Chandler.
Farnsworth said he hopes to sit down with Senate leaders and find common ground on his proposal but added that local critics of his legislation have not come to speak to him about the issue.
For more information on HB2308, visit the Arizona legislature Web site at http://www.azleg.state.az.us.
There is plenty of opposition to this bill. Phoenix has a Growing Smarter plan that will turn this city into 14 villages. Smart Growth = Agenda 21.
1.Republicans have control of the Senate to the point that an override of her veto is entirely possible.
2.If she vetos it, then she'd be going against the Dem reputation of being 'for the little guy' (however inaccurate that may be) and being for the rich.
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