SEN. KOLKHORST SAYS EMINENT DOMAIN LEGISLATION WILL REMAIN A PRIORITY
State Senator Lois Kolkhorst has stressed she will continue pushing for eminent domain reform, after her bill stalled in legislative session.
Kolkhorst’s Senate Bill 421 failed to advance out of conference committee before the session ended Monday. She said proposed changes to her legislation would have “greatly harmed” landowners and their rights.
The State Senate in April voted 28-3 on the bill, which Kolkhorst said provided “meaningful eminent domain reform for rural and suburban Texas”. She said the legislation provided changes such as preventing low initial offers, improving easement terms, and requiring meetings to ensure property owners understand the eminent domain process and get their questions answered.
The bill was referred to the House Committee on Land and Resource Management, where Kolkhorst said the Chairman, State Representative Tom Craddick (R-Midland), “seized the legislation” from its original House sponsor, State Representative DeWayne Burns (R-Cleburne). She said the bill was then weakened “to the benefit of condemning authorities”.
Kolkhorst said the bill was passed by the House on May 22nd, the last day to pass a bill, not leaving much time to work out disagreements. She said she would not agree to a proposal that would “do the opposite of what we set to do: help level the playing field for landowners in the taking of their property”.
Kolkhorst added, while she maintains respect for Chairman Craddick, her interests “lie in contrast” to his, saying hers are with the “fair treatment of property owners across the state”. She concluded by saying the issue of eminent domain “will and must remain a top state legislative priority”.
Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening said the Farm Bureau is disappointed in the industry groups that “refused to honor the commitments they made to Senator Lois Kolkhorst and Representative DeWayne Burns” during negotiations. He said, with the rejection of this compromise, these groups have shown they “aren’t interested in addressing the abuse of eminent domain in Texas”.