If you live in Colorado, please contact your two state - TopicsExpress

If you live in Colorado, please contact your two state representatives today! A horrible bill is making its way through the Colorado state legislature, SB 14-093. It would grant the enormous power of eminent domain to private companies like oil, gas and pipeline corporations. It would increase the power of pipeline companies to condemn private property at the expense of we, the people, individual citizens. Our houses and backyards, neighborhoods and parks could be threatened by pipeline companies. In 2012 the Colorados Supreme Court ruled that corporations seeking to build for profit pipelines (as opposed to utility pipelines) do not have any powers of eminent domain, despite their claims that they did. This was a wise decision, affirming that the role of eminent domain should be reserved to governments for clear instances of public projects and voiding any such putative powers for private pipeline corporations. SB 14-093 is an unfortunate legislative resurrection of this issue, seeking to legislatively overturn the CO Supreme Court ruling and give private pipeline corporations the power of eminent domain denied by the court. This is a case of the legislature seeking to expand corporate power and diminish private property rights of the people. The fact that it includes the power to establish eminent domain, a power contentious even for governments, makes it all the more odious. Colorado residents from all sides of the political spectrum are adamantly opposed to the bill. On this issue I and most Coloradans side with Weld County commissioner Barbara Kirkmayer who went on record saying that the bill is an infringement of public right of way for a private, for-profit company (that is not a utility). Eminent domain means supreme lordship in Latin. Dont be on the wrong side of history, granting supreme lordship to private pipeline companies and diminishing private property rights.