Bill To Allow Voters to Decide on Eminent Domain: WLTX-TV19 (Columbia SC), 2/1/06

A [South Carolina] Senate subcommittee has passed a bill allowing voters to decide whether to change the state constitution and limit government power to take private land.

A Senate Judiciary subcommittee approved two ballot questions Tuesday.

One question asks voters to clarify that private property can only be taken when it will be owned and used by the government or by everyone.

Having a public purpose or public benefit wouldn't be enough.

The other question would eliminate a part of the constitution allowing less than a dozen counties authority to clear slums.

The full Judiciary Committee decided today to delay action on that bill until next week.

But the committee sent a second bill to the floor that sets up a special Senate-House committee to study how the state's existing eminent domain laws have been used.

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WLTX-TV19: www.wltx.com