NFIB State Director Gregg Thompson says North Carolina’s leading small business advocacy organization is telling lawmakers it will “key vote” a proposed state constitutional amendment that would stop eminent domain abuse.

SB 378 and HB 271 would put a state amendment on the 2021 general election ballot that would stop the government from using the power of eminent domain to seize private property unless it’s for public use.

“It’s one thing for a government entity to take someone’s property for a public project like a road or a school but seizing someone’s land so someone else can develop it is just wrong and blatantly anti-competitive,” Thompson said.

“Local governments sometimes say eminent domain advances the public interest because it creates jobs and generates tax revenue, but destroying one person’s business so another private enterprise can have the site is not a legitimate public use,” Thompson said.

“By ‘key voting’ this legislation, we’re letting legislators know that our members are deeply concerned about eminent domain abuse and that we’ll report each and every vote to our members, their constituents,” Thompson said.