Lawmakers Fail to Override Barbour's Eminent Domain Veto

A Senate vote leaves private property up for grabs if the state needs it for economic development. Yesterday lawmakers failed in an attempt to override a veto by Governor Haley Barbour of an eminent domain bill. MPB’s Stephen Koranda reports.

The bill would have restricted the government’s ability to take private land to use for economic development or other private projects. The Mississippi House successfully voted to override Governor Barbour’s veto on Tuesday. On the Senate floor, Cindy Hyde-Smith of Brookhaven said the bill lawmakers sent the Governor would better protect landowner's rights. She said voting against the override would be an unpopular decision.

“If you go home and you run for any office again, this office, statewide office, you need to get you a pair of asbestos underwear because you’re going to need it. Somebody’s going to light up your rear end on this one. This is a vote people never forget.”

To complete the override the Senate needed a 2/3rds majority to vote for it. It failed with 28 of 52 senators voting to override. Governor Barbour has argued the bill would make it more difficult to attract big economic development projects, and that argument swayed some senators, like Johnny Walls of Greenville.

“I’m going to vote based on my understanding about what’s best for my constituents, and my constituents in the Mississippi delta need jobs. They need Nissan. I wish I could take Nissan and take it up to Washington and Bolivar County.”

Some Senators criticized the bill for having too many loopholes that could result in land being taken through eminent domain. They also pointed to the protections already afforded under the law.