Sullivan Marks Anniversary of “Kelo,” by Promoting HR 6219 to Protect Private Property Owners

Yesterday, Congressman John Sullivan delivered the following remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives. June 23, 2008 marked the three year anniversary of the infamous U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Kelo v. City of New London case.

“Mr. Speaker,

“Yesterday was the third anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2005 decision in the Kelo v. City of New London case.

“In that decision, a divided Supreme Court ruled that the government may take people’s homes and bulldoze them to make way for strip malls or other private development in order to increase tax revenue.

“The negative affects of this far reaching decision places all private property owners at risk. No property owner is safe if the government decides that their land would serve a better purpose and be an economic gain if something bigger or more taxable were in its place.

“To combat these unjust property takings I introduced H.R. 6219 to protect the rights of private property owners.

“With this bill, all Americans now have the tools they need to fight unjust property takings and defend their homes and small businesses.

“I yield back the balance of my time.”

Also see: H. R. 6219 – To authorize appropriations for the Department of Commerce and to prohibit Federal economic development funds to States that carry out public takings for private purposes.