Kelo in Sacramento

The California State Senate Judiciary Committee failed to advance the property rights movement by defeating Tom McClintock's amendment.

Majority Democrats derailed SCA 15, a broader constitutional amendment that would have barred all seizure of private property unless it was for a public use, such as roads or schools. Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, and others agreed to shelve a narrower version protecting homeowners, SCA 12, until hearings can be held this fall.

The committee did approve the much weaker AB 1162, "a measure that would impose a two-year moratorium on taking homes for private projects". But that bill will not stop the eminent domain runaway. The full Senate just approved a bill allowing a tribe to help manage land taken by eminent domain financed by the tribe.

Yolo County is attempting to acquire the land through eminent domain in hopes of preserving the property and its water rights. The owner of the land, developer Steve Gidaro, is fighting the action....

Senate Republicans assailed the proposal on Wednesday as representative of eminent domain's problems. Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, said AB 1747 would enable a theft that is being underwritten by the Rumsey Indians.

The private benefit of the government is not "public use".