Ok, so Crawford is not a question; it’s one word—-but the principles behind Crawford should be posed to judicial candidates and also to Texas Attorney General, Railroad Commissioner and Agriculture Commissioner candidates—“under what circumstances should any private corporation, foreign or not, be able to exercise eminent domain to seize private land for private profit?”
The case is The Crawford Family Farm Partnership v TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. and a ruling by the Texas Supreme Court was issued on January 7th, 2014.
From the Bowie County Citizens Journal:
“A ruling on Wednesday by the Texas Supreme Court was a huge victory for Northeast Texas landowner Julia Trigg Crawford and all of those who are standing with her in her battle to fight a Canadian company that has seized part of her family farm for a pipeline.
The high court’s ruling ordered TransCanada to submit information by Feb. 6, 2014 as the justices weigh arguments to hear the case regarding eminent domain abuse.
“…Crawford says her case has broad implications, because if she wins, TransCanada and other foreign oil companies will no longer be able to use eminent domain to seize land for their private profit without direct proof their pipeline is carrying Texan oil.”
We have Republican candidates campaigning across the state and our counties claiming to support private property land rights; last year it was learned completion of the hike and bike boondoggle in the City of Sugar Land required the confiscation of private land through eminent domain (yes that project’s for public use but the same principle of voter-sanctioned government seizure of private land still applies)–and I’ve been to Lord knows how many meetings attended by Republican voters applauding Republican candidates claiming to support property rights who principally believe government-forced confiscation of private land for another entity’s private gain is A-OK.
Ask the candidates—mentioned above—what they know about the Crawford case–the Texas Supreme Court could conceivably take this case on appeal and potentially rule on the fundamental rights of private land owners in the State of Texas.
The judicial races are the most important races.