Taking it State by State

In November 1993, the Virginia "Private Property Rights Study Commission" held a public hearing in Richmond. The Commission, established by the state legislature in February 1993, was charged with evaluating the need for takings legislation in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As expected, lobbyists from the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation and the Virginia Association of Realtors, along with a handful of property owners came forward to complain about the impact of environmental protections. Surprisingly however, the majority of citizens testified that regulatory "relief" for one property owner might well result in harm to the property rights of others and to the interests of the larger community.