Local lawmaker Jim Guthrie’s eminent domain bill passes in committee
“A Southeast Idaho state lawmaker’s bill to curb eminent domain for uses such as bike path construction narrowly cleared the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee on Tuesday.
Three of eight senators on the panel asked to be recorded as voting no on Senate Bill 1044 — sponsored by Sen. Jim Guthrie, R-McCammon.
“This is not about anti-Greenway,” Guthrie said in closing testimony. “It’s about property rights.”
Thirteen of the 16 people to testify before the committee opposed the legislation, which is now bound for the full Senate.
“I’m shocked in light of the testimony,” said David Maguire, a former member of the Portneuf Greenway Association, about the committee vote outcome. “We’re going to keep trying to get it defeated.”
The legislation also drew opponents from Ada and Canyon counties in Southwestern Idaho.
“This is a solution looking for a problem,” said Elaine Clegg, a Boise City Council member, who also works for the Idaho Smart Growth organization.
The legislation gained support from the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation.
“We are very concerned that for these nice amenities, these things that would be great, that would be wonderful to have in our community, those are not rights,” said Farm Bureau lobbyist Russ Hendricks. “Those are not requirements. Those are not things that we have an inherent need to have.”
Hendricks added: “We do not have to have trail go through somebody’s property if they don’t want to have it there.””
Goins, Dave. Idaho State Journal 18 February 2015.