By Billy Howe

We heard it when Texas Farm Bureau fought for private property rights and eminent domain reform.  We heard it when we fought for groundwater rights and surface water rights. Lately, we have heard it all again as we fight for landowners over common carrier pipelines: “What Texas Farm Bureau wants is just going to enrich trial lawyers and cause ‘thousands of lawsuits.’”

What complete nonsense!

Texas Farm Bureau is fighting for the constitutionally-guaranteed right of landowners to protect their property.

That’s lawsuit abuse?

By Steve Pringle

TFB Legislative Director

For years, Texas claimed to be a property rights state. Our politicians waxed eloquent on the stump about the sanctity of private property in Texas. Sometimes you get the idea that Davy Crockett died at the Alamo strictly because of Mexico’s eminent domain policy. It was, however, a sham. Texas, until the legislative session of 2011, had one of the nation’s worst eminent domain laws.

By Kenneth Dierschke
President
Texas Farm Bureau

Congratulations, Texas. Eminent domain has been reformed!

Private property laws in the Lone Star State have entered the 21st Century. The take-it-or-leave-it attitude displayed by some condemning authorities will be replaced by good faith and cooperation.

It’s been a long time coming. Farm Bureau leaders and members in all 206 of our county organizations were major players in this high stakes game for many years.

Thanks to Gov. Perry for designating this issue as an emergency item, which paved the road for its smooth passage. Our appreciation goes to Gov. Perry for signing this important piece of private property rights legislation.

By Gene Hall
The long battle to achieve meaningful protection of private property rights in Texas with reform of eminent domain laws seems to be nearing a conclusion. This change in the Texas property code will be important to every property owner in the state.

When Governor Rick Perry designated the issue as an emergency item for the Texas Legislature on Jan. 11, chances for speedy approval of the legislation were greatly enhanced.  In the 2009 Legislature, the eminent domain reform bill—Senate Bill 18—had cleared the Senate and was awaiting House action, where near unanimous support was expected. Instead, the controversy over voter ID bogged down the House and eminent domain reform joined other important bills that did not get a vote. Similar issues, like the budget and redistricting, could have the same result this session.

By Billy B. Brown

Most landowners have a strong belief that they have a Texas private property right to the groundwater beneath their land.  They believe that the Rule of Capture gives them a property right to drill a well and pump groundwater for their use.  Unfortunately, this belief is being challenged at the Texas Supreme Court and the halls of the State Capitol.

The following excerpt is from President Kenneth Dierschke’s address to convention delegates during TFB’s 77th annual meeting Dec. 5 in Waco.
For the Texas Farm Bureau—for the people who grow our food—this is a crucial time.

It is a time of potential danger and enormous expectations, a time of great challenge and potential reward. It is a time to harvest that which has been sown by generations of our members and leaders. 

This is Texas Farm Bureau’s time—if we have the will to make it happen.