Although I moved away a decade ago, I was born and raised in Alabama. My family (on both sides) has lived there for many generations. Even so, I honestly can’t think of a single time when I could say that I was proud of the state’s government and/or elected officials.
Alabama yesterday became the first state to enact new protections against local-government seizure of property allowed under a Supreme Court ruling that has triggered an explosive grass-roots counteroffensive across the country.
Republican Gov. Bob Riley signed a bill that was passed unanimously by a special session of the Alabama Legislature, which would prohibit governments from using their eminent-domain authority to take privately owned properties for the purpose of turning them over to retail, industrial, office or residential developers.
Calling the high court’s June 23 ruling “misguided” and a “threat to all property owners,” Mr. Riley said, “A property rights revolt is sweeping the nation, and Alabama is leading it.”
Bravo, ladies and gentlemen.
Show that much good sense with the rest of your work, and there’ll be a lot fewer wisecracks about our home state. I quite literally have never been prouder of you.
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