Doyle signs eminent domain bill

Harkening back to this lovely decision by the Supreme Court last year, Gov. Jim Doyle signed a law limiting eminent domain in the state of Wisconsin.

From the AP article:

The Wisconsin bill prohibits governments - ranging from counties to state agencies to the University of Wisconsin System - from condemning property that isn't blighted if the governments plan to convey or lease the property to a private entity.

Property can't be considered blighted unless it has been abandoned or converted from a single dwelling into multiple units and the crime rate in or around the property is three times higher than in the rest of the city, according to the bill.

Before a government can seize blighted property, its officials must make written findings that include a legal description of the redevelopment, the reasons for condemnation and the reasons why the property is considered blighted.

It was the right decision by the state legislature and the governor to back this bill proving that bipartisanship is still possible even in these times.