This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.


Local governments in the United States have always had a [?] right to seize private property, with fair payment. This right is called eminent [?]. Eminent [?] has [?] been limited to the taking of land for public uses like roads, schools or bridges.

But on June twenty-third of , the Supreme Court decided the case of Kelo versus the City of New London, Connecticut. The decision gave local governments the right to take private property for the purpose of economic [?].

That means a homeowner or [?] owner could be forced to move not only for reasons of public use, but also for private use. Owners could have their property condemned if [?] decide that another owner could make more money on that property.

Five of the nine [?] on the Supreme Court supported the decision. Four opposed it.

Supporters say eminent [?] is needed to improve economically depressed areas and create [?] and new jobs.

But all across the country, [?] showed that most people did not feel the decision was fair.

The Castle [?] is a nonprofit group that is part of the Institute for , which fought the Kelo case before the Supreme Court. The [?] says the threatened use of eminent [?] for private [?] has greatly increased over the past year. The group published a [?] in June, the anniversary of the Kelo decision.

It said that in one year, local governments had threatened or condemned nearly properties for private [?]. That, it said, was equal to more than half the number for the five-year period between and two thousand two.

But, while the [?] of threats increased sharply, [?] rarely had to act on their threats. The report said local [?] took steps to condemn three hundred fifty-four properties for private use in the year following the Kelo decision. The [?] says owners largely choose not to fight what they believe will be a hopeless [?].

Under the ruling, no one's property is safe unless [?] states pass their own laws to restrict eminent [?]. And that is just what they have done.

The Castle [?] reported last month that of the fifty states have passed laws that aim to restrict eminent [?]. That includes nine states where voters passed ballot measures in the [?] seventh elections.

Some state laws do more to protect the rights of property owners than others. Lisa Knepper of the Institute for says it is still too soon to tell the [?] of these new laws. But efforts are also being made to pass federal legislation to protect all property owners from eminent [?] for private [?].

IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English was written by Brianna Blake. To learn more about subjects in the news, and to download MP3 files and transcripts of our programs, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.