A state constitutional amendment to protect private property rights is one step closer to earning a spot on November’s ballot.

Last week, the Virginia Senate Privileges and Elections Committee voted 13-2 in favor of SJ 3 and sent the bill to the full Senate. The legislation tightens the definition of public use and requires just compensation for owners whose property has been taken using eminent domain.

The Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership, a joint effort of the Dulles Regional, Greater Reston and Loudoun County chambers, argues in a press release that the suggested restrictions could crush efforts by local jurisdictions to extend their infrastructure – water, sewer, gas lines and roads – to support economic development initiatives.

The bills before the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates would restrict the use of eminent domain to public uses. They all use basically the same language: “That the General Assembly shall pass no law whereby private property, the right to which is fundamental, shall be damaged or taken except for public use.”

The chamber partnership “supports responsible use of eminent domain in instances where the rights of property owners are balanced with the rights of entities with existing eminent domain authority.”

“In the current unprecedented economic climate, Virginia can ill afford to negatively impact its competitiveness with other states in attracting economic development that could provide much needed jobs for Virginia residents,” Mark Ingrao, president of the Greater Reston Chamber, said in the release.

For more information:
BizJournals.com: Northern Virginia Chambers Oppose Eminent Domain Bill
Smith Mountain Eagle: Va. Eminent Domain Legislation Clears another Hurdle

Tags: eminent domain, land use