Signatures Gathered for Eminent Domain Issue: KXMC (Minot ND), 8/8/06

Many North Dakota homeowners don't want the government to have the power to take over private property for public use.

That's the idea behind a petition thousands of North Dakotans have signed.

Volunteers for the Citizens Restricting Eminent Domain have been hard at work looking for people to sign a petition against eminent domain.

So far, 32,000 people have signed it.

Today, those signatures were taken to the Secretary of State's office to be reviewed.

If approved private property rights will be up for vote on the November ballot.

Heidi Heitkamp, Citizens Restricting Eminent Domain, stated "You know I've said this, if people need to take people's private property to promote economic development they aren't doing a very good job at economic development. There's a lot of opportunity and there's a lot of resources in North Dakota. There's a lot of people who would sell their property for economic development. I'm sure they'll be able to find those folks."

Heitkamp says she thinks there will be little opposition to the petition and it will pass this November.

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KXMC (Minot ND): http://www.kxmc.com