Will Connecticut—Home of the Kelo Supreme Court Case—Finally End Eminent Domain Abuse?
“When the Supreme Court ruled in Kelo v. City of New London in 2005 to allow local governments to use eminent domain to seize private property and turn it over to private developers, many states and communities—sometimes under pressure from citizens—put into place their own laws and regulations to stop it anyway.
But not, of course, Connecticut, which is where New London and Susette Kelo’s former property can be found. The private development that prompted the property seizures—for the benefit of pharmaceutical company Pfizer—ultimately never even happened. Kelo’s former property is now an empty lot.
Now there’s a legislative push in Connecticut to finally reform the state’s eminent domain laws to prevent another situation like Kelo’s. HB 5123, introduced by Rep. Tami Zawistowski (R-Suffield) would stop the state and its municipalities from using eminent domain to take property that would be used for any project that generates income for a private commercial purpose.
New London wasn’t the only Connecticut city to turn to eminent domain for a private commercial development. The city of West Haven followed in New Haven’s footsteps in 2015 and authorized the use eminent domain to get property so that private developers could build an “upscale outlet mall.””
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Shackford, Scott. Reason 23 April 2019.