Dec
7
Written by:
Andy Hogue
12/7/2009 5:09 PM
On her first day as an officially filed candidate, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison released a "60-day plan" for reforming eminent domain practices in Texas should she be elected Governor of Texas.
Hutchison pre-recorded a video announcement which played today at the Texas Farm Bureau's annual convention in Fort Worth, which highlighted her plan to designate property rights reform as an emergency item during the first two months of the 82nd Legislature.
(Note: Texas Farm Bureau's AGFUND had endorsed Hutchison in October, citing property rights as one of their main bones to pick with Gov. Rick Perry, who is seeking another term. In previous election years, Perry had recevied the group's endorsement.)
In the video, Hutchison called for a more precise definition of "public use" (to clarify the eminent domain reforms made in Proposition 11 in November) and to restrict economic development to only those public purposes. She also called for a codification of the rights of landowners and heirs to repurchase land previously condemned for extensively delayed or canceld public projects.
In addition, Hutchision echoed Farm Bureau's pleas for "diminished access protection" rights for property owners (which considers reduction of value due to condemnation when calculating a fair level of compensation).
“Protection of private property interests is critical,” Hutchison said. “Our current governor says he believes this, too. He holds meaningless signing ceremonies at the Alamo, and declares himself to be a property rights supporter. Unfortunately, this is another area where his words and his actions do not line up.”
Hutchison also took a swipe at Perry's handling of the Texas Department of Transportation and the Trans-Texas Corridor toll road network project.
Another press release took some jabs at Perry's record on property rights protection and his refusal to support property rights bills which contained diminished access protection. Said Hutchison campaign spokesman Joe Pounder: “Rick Perry’s election-year hypocrisy continues. Despite proposing to seize nearly 600,000 acres of land and vetoing conservative eminent domain reform, Rick Perry says he’s for protecting private property in an election-year. It’s clear that Rick Perry will say and do anything to cover-up for his poor record on private property rights.”
In addition to making the video announcement, Hutchison greeted Texas Farm Bureau staff at their convention in Fort Worth during a flight delay, Pounder said.
The Perry campaign countered today with an accusation that Hutchison skipped a much more important event -- the opening of the George H.W. Bush Gallery at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredricksburg.
Hutchison was scheduled to appear at the opening this afternoon -- along with the center's presidential namesake, Perry and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway -- but Pounder said due to inclement weather near Fredricksburg her flight was delayed. Her flight was diverted to Fort Worth for refueling so that she would not miss a health care vote later today in the U.S. Senate, he said.
“It is unfortunate that Sen. Hutchison chose to promote her campaign today instead of honoring our veterans,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner in a press release. “Her excuses for missing today’s events continue to demonstrate a lack credibility by the senator and her campaign.”
Pounder noted the same bad weather caused a U.S. Army parachute team jump to be delayed for more than an hour. He said the Perry campaign "owes our veterans an apology for seeking to politicize today’s ceremony."
In other gubernatorial race news: Republican Debra Medina filed today as a candidate, and Democratic hopeful Kinky Friedman told the Austin American-Statesman that he's not bowing out. It was expected that Friedman may bow out after fellow candidate Hank Gilbert switched races to Ag Commissioner on Friday and endorsed Farouk Shami after Houston Mayor Bill White entered the race.