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Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation
Agricultural News and Information
Farm Bureau Applauds Court Decision
JACKSON – The Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation was very pleased with the decision by the Mississippi Supreme Court to allow the Eminent Domain Reform initiative to remain on the November 8 ballot.
“It’s important to Farm Bureau that the average citizen not be run over by their own government,” said Farm Bureau President Randy Knight. “They have to have a way to protect family land and homes and not be put to the considerable expense of defending an eminent domain case. Mississippians need to go to the polls on November 8 and vote YES on Initiative 31 to stop eminent domain abuse.”
Initiative 31 is designed to stop government from using eminent domain to take private property from one individual and turning it over to another private individual or company for economic development. Mississippi is one of only seven states that have not enacted laws to strengthen private property rights in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Kelo vs. the City of New London.
In that landmark decision in 2005, the Court held that if one private company or individual can make better use of a piece of property than the current owner, then it is legal for the government to use eminent domain to force the owner to sell his property to the developer.
“This reform is not just for farmers but for all Mississippi citizens,”
said Knight. “It doesn’t matter where you live. You are entitled
to be secure in your home or on your land against the threat of it being
taken for what really is a private use by someone with more assets than
you have.”
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