Our friends in NJ have an uphill battle against eminent domain. Read this from the Morris County Daily Record:
Curbing land grabs | Progress in stopping eminent domain abuse
Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling last year in the Kelo case out of New London, Conn., eminent domain has been in the forefront. That unfortunate opinion said government can condemn private property for use by another private entity. In other words, government can condemn a block of mom and pop stores to benefit a business that wants to build a jazzy mall.
Lawmakers in New Jersey are trying to develop legislation to blunt that opinion as much as possible. The best idea is a bill backed by a number of lawmakers, including Assemblymen Joseph Pennacchio and Richard Merkt, both R-Morris, that would prohibit eminent domain for commercial purposes in most cases. That says it nicely. Yes, passage of such a law probably would lead to a court challenge, but it should be done anyway.
....Some argue that eminent domain is the only way to redevelop urban areas. We see things from a different perspective: The rights of property owners should supersede redevelopment schemes hatched by politically-connected developers. (source)
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