Analysis: How Bramble’s Eminent Domain Bill Went South
“Eminent domain condemnation has for some time been a philosophical sticking point for Utah Republicans.
The very idea of the government – be it state, city, county or school district – having the ability to take private property for a public purpose doesn’t sit well in GOP stomachs.
Bramble retorted to GOP senator complaints about SB201 that no other senator has been as concerned, or worked as hard to control, eminent domain than he has.
His rewritten SB201 grinds down which trails may see eminent domain action to just two: The Jordan River Trail, which, when finished, will run from the Great Salt Lake through central Salt Lake County to Utah Lake; and the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, which ultimately could run all along the Wasatch Front west side mountain benches.
The shoreline trail can run through Bramble’s eastside-of-Provo District 16, which runs up against the mountains.
Bramble said eminent domain action for recreational facilities, including trails, was long used in Utah until about five years ago.
At that time lawmakers removed trails as eligible ED action, mainly because of actions in Mapleton City in Utah County. The city fathers didn’t want a large parcel of bench land development, so they condemned a slice down the middle of it and put in a trail.
Upset, GOP legislators took tails out of the ED mix. And that bad feeling rose again against Bramble.
“We don’t want the camel’s nose under the tent” on ED for trails or other recreation, said Senate Majority Leader Ralph Okerlund, R-Monroe.
Dabakis, a new appointee to the Senate, was last in line among Democrats for committee assignments. And even though he is from highly-developed Salt Lake City, was put on the Natural Resources Senate Standing Committee, hearing bills that usually deal with rural Utah.”
Bernick, Bob. Utah Policy 5 March 2013.