Texas has taken some steps since Kelo in moving toward protecting its citizens from eminent domain abuse. The Legislature banned takings for economic development purposes in 2005, but left a big loophole allowing these to continue in the case of loosely-defined blight conditions.
Property Rights
Oakland fined this couple $915,000 for preventing fires. That’s 18 times the penalty for actual arson
Imagine buying a piece of property, being ordered by the government to clear it of fire hazards, and then being handed a near-million-dollar bill by that same government for doing exactly what it asked. It sounds like a dystopian satire of bureaucratic overreach, but for Matthew Bernard and Lynn Warner, it is a harrowing legal...
August 19, 2026