Eminent Domain
Legislation seeking to add federal protections to property owners and tenants faced with eminent domain failed to garner a majority of the 35 member Senate with a 15-13 vote this Thursday. SB 787 would result in higher compensation rates for property, travel, and relocation costs. The bill also extends compensation rights to tenants in Arkansas.
Opponents contend that the increased cost of eminent domain will be prohibitive to growth and confer unwarranted rights to tenants.
Bill sponsor Joyce Elliott (D) spoke in favor of the bill Thursday, “I intend for it to be as onerous as possible for a person to be displaced from their land.”
The vote did not reflect partisan lines. Republican Senator Jeremy Hutchinson lent his support to the legislation, noting, “Property rights are pre-eminent in our Constitution.”
Although SB 787 failed on Thursday, it has a second chance at life on Friday. After the failing vote, Elliott moved to expunge the vote, which allows for the bill to be taken up again. It’s likely that Elliott will be able to pick up some additional votes for Friday.
Five senators did not vote and two were absent. Elliott needs to pick up just three more votes. Senator David Johnson (D), of Little Rock, and Stephanie Flowers (D), of Pine Bluff, tend to vote with Elliott and may do so tomorrow. Senator Teague (D) is another likely candidate.
Democratic Minority Leader, Keith Ingram, and Minority Whip, Bobby Pierce, are opposed to the bill. Only four democrats voted for the bill while five voted against it.
If the bill passes the Senate it will still face a vote in the House.
License Plate Soup
Specialty license plate bills are a bit of an inside joke in the Capitol. They range from the popular to the obscure and tend to clog up the agenda. Tomorrow Nate Bell (R) will take up legislation to limit the number of special license plates to the number existing as of January 1, 2014.
On Wednesday Senator Linda Chesterfield (D) expressed her frustration, “This will be the only license plate bill I will vote for this session.”
While the state turns its attention to the big Medicaid-Private Option vote I thought we could take a look at something which has also taken up a great deal of legislative time. There are currently 111 specialty plates in Arkansas. Here’s the list of this year’s license plate bills (designs pending):
HB 1246 – In Support of Law Enforcement
HB 1475 – Disabled Veterans Motorcycle Plate
HB 1511 – Little Rock Air Force Base
HB 1540 – Rotary International PolioPlus
HB 1699 – Veterans of Foreign Wars
HB 1781 – Arkansas Court Appointed Special Advocates
HB 1879 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
HB 1880 – Hispanic Americans FAILED
HB 2048 – Children’s Cancer Research
HB 2061 – Arkansas Future Farmers of America Association
HB 2230 – Arkansas Rice Council
SB 441 – Operation Urgent Fury
SB 784 – Arkansas Tennis Association
SB 1059 – Constables
SB 1168 – Pancreatic Cancer Awareness
SB 1191 – Coast Guard
