Better Blast It to Make Sure It's Dead

Here's a sweeping South Dakota ban we can all get behind. (OK, maybe not Joe.) The bill, which prohibits condemning property "for transfer to any private person, nongovernmental entity, or other public-private business entity," was approved by a unanimous vote of the state Senate and a nearly unanimous vote of the state House. The Institute for Justice reports that Gov. Mike Rounds signed the measure this month.

As you might have guessed based on the way the bill sailed through the legislature, eminent domain abuse was not exactly rampant in South Dakota. Here's the summary from I.J. attorney Dana Berliner's five-year review of eminent domain cases in the 50 states:

South Dakota has remained almost entirely free of eminent domain controversy. There have been no reports at all of state or local governments condemning property for private use. South Dakotans then do not have to fear the abuse of eminent domain for private parties.

Now, I guess, they do not have to fear it even more.