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Case Study: Kelo V. City Of New London

Decent Essays

Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, Representative Trent Franks(R) Arizona, 8th asserted that the United States Supreme Court decision Kelo v. City of New London threatens property rights. Consequently, Congress must remedy the effects of the Court’s decision by actively protecting small businesses, and homeowners. The Kelo decision ruled that the government’s decision to take property for the purpose of private economic development satisfies the “public use” requirement of the 5th Amendment. Nevertheless, the government did not provide just compensation to the property owners, thus, ignoring the 5th Amendment’s takings clause. Further, Franks cites Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s principal dissent with the majority’s …show more content…

(D) Michigan, 13th acknowledged that eminent domain could precipitate adverse consequences. For example, the city of Detroit striped homeowners’ of their land, to give it to the auto industry. In addition, the representative expressed concern that eminent domain proportionally affects African Americans, Latinos, and Asian American more. Furthermore, Conyers warns the federal government to not act without respecting the principles of federalism and to study any legislation that affects people. In turn, Congress must also allow states to create their own eminent domain laws, for it is a state matter.

 Dan Alban, Attorney at the Institute for Justice, who represented the homeowners in Kelo, asserted that the Court’s decision did not serve its intended purpose of economic development for public use. The corporation, whom the Court sided with: abandoned the town, did not build the intended manufacturing plant, and after 10 years, a barren field lies where the house stood. For this reason, Mr. Alban urges Congress to not fund projects which benefit from eminent domain takings. Lastly, he asserts that commercial developers should acquire property only through negotiations, not government

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