The Wyoming House continues to support a bill that would strengthen the state’s eminent domain laws.
It would require that all legal requirements for condemning land must be met before a case can be taken to a court. If a company fails, or if a landowner is not given fair market value for his property, the landowner would be able to sue.
Groups supporting the bill say it will limit abuses in eminent domain discussions.
Casper Representative Tim Stubson failed in his attempts to amend the bill, saying that it’s leaning too heavily in favor of landowners.
But Cheyenne Representative Bob Nicholas argued that energy companies currently have the edge.
“This is about them coming and taking your property. You know if it’s a power line they want to pay you once. They want to pay you one time for that power line to be over your house, over your garage, or over your back porch for the rest of your life and your kids life. Really, they ought to pay you every year. They are making money every year and they will pay you once for it.”
The bill will be voted on for a final time on Tuesday.
