Securing Texans’ Private Property Rights

May 21, 2007

After a detailed interim study, the Legislature is addressing eminent domain in several pieces of legislation which are expected to soon be considered by the Texas Senate. This paper provides an analysis of key provisions of these bills.

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Matthew Bernard and Lynn Warner v. City of Oakland, California

Date Filed: June 29, 2026 Original Court: Northern District of California Case Status: Pending Matthew Bernard and Lynn Warner own an undeveloped residential plot in Oakland, California. In 2020, the Oakland Fire Department ordered them to clear dead and dying trees from their land or face ongoing fines. The landowners hired an arborist and removed...

June 29, 2026

Property Rights

Watch out for that tree!

Are you familiar with your local tree ordinances? If not, you might want to do some research before breaking out the chainsaw. Cities and townships across the country have some version of tree-related rules that property owners must follow, or face consequences. The Center for the American Future, TPPF’s public interest litigation team, has now challenged...

August 6, 2026

Election Integrity

Toward a More Well-Informed Citizenry

The 86th Texas Legislature sought to enhance public debt transparency through the creation of Voter Information Documents (VID). However, this instrument is not accurately providing debt amounts and needs reform. Key points: Governments are manipulating the VID methodology to deny voters accurate tax impact estimates. Many VIDs are dissimilar, making comparative analysis challenging. There is...

July 31, 2026

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Matthew Bernard and Lynn Warner v. City of Oakland, California

Watch out for that tree!

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