Boone Liberty Coalition

BOONE LIBERTY COALITION EMINENT DOMAIN REFORM PETITION AT NU vs MU FOOTBALL GAME

Columbia, MO -- October 5, 2007 -- The Boone Liberty Coalition (BLC) will be petitioning at the Nebraska vs Missouri football game prior to the Saturday October 6th 8:15PM kickoff at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium.

The BLC will be teaming up with Missouri Citizens for Property Rights to gather signatures for petitions to amend the Missouri Constitution to prevent the use of eminent domain for private development.

After the 2005 US Supreme Court decision in the Kelo vs New London Development Corporation case upheld the use of eminent domain for private development, the Missouri Legislature acted quickly to pass eminent domain reform in 2006. Unfortunately the legislation passed did little to protect Missouri citizens from eminent domain abuse.

"Eminent domain when used for private development puts the home or business owner in a lose-lose situation. They either have to lose their property or spend a great deal of money fighting to keep their property in the courts. Either way their lives are completely disrupted." said BLC spokesperson Glenn Nielsen.

Glenn Nielsen added, "I commend the efforts of Ron Calzone of Missouri Citizens for Property Rights for all the hard work to get real eminent domain reform before the people of Missouri."

According to the Castle Coalition - an organization that fights eminent domain abuses and has said that "Missouri has one of the worst records on eminent domain abuse in the country" - a recent state law fell far short of protecting the people. "The problem is that if blight can mean anything at all...(Missourians) are not much more protected today than they were before this new legislation." said Institute for Justice Senior Attorney Scott Bullock, who argued Kelo before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The BLC launched a petition to reform the Columbia Missouri Eminent Domain Ordinance March of 2007. Now that there is a statewide petition to protect all Missourians from eminent domain abuse the BLC will be refocusing its volunteers to assist Missouri Citizens for Property Rights get these amendments to the Missouri Constitution on the November 2008 ballot.

The mission of the Boone Liberty Coalition is to be an advocate for personal liberty, economic freedom and property rights in Boone County. We believe that limited government, personal property rights and free choice are the best vehicles to promote diversity, economic well-being, personal responsibility and peace.