Date: Fri, 20 Oct 1995 08:51:49 -0400 (EDT) From: Competitive Enterprise Institute To: Recipients of the CEI List Subject: CEI List: Property Rights Legislation For Immediate Release: Contact: Greg Smith (202) 331-1010 CEI'S ADLER TELLS SENATE TO ENACT PROPERTY RIGHTS LEGISLATION Testifies that Environmental Objections to 'Takings' Bill Are Misguided WASHINGTON DC, October 18 -- The Senate should enact legislation to provide compensation for landowners who have been denied the reasonable use of their land by federal regulations, testified Jonathan H. Adler, Director of Environmental Studies at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. "It is time to recognize the property rights are important for both economic and environmental reasons, and must be protected from both government regulation and private malfeasance," Adler said. Adler's testimony challenged claims that so-called "takings" bills would undermine environmental protection. "Compensating landowners when they are deprived of the reasonable use of their land will not produce environmental catastrophe," said Adler in a written statement presented to the committee. "In many cases, [compensation] will eliminate the negative environmental incentives created by the heavy hand of existing government regulations." Adler appeared today before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on a pending proposal to provide for compensation to landowners that are subject to regulatory takings. A takings compensation bill passed the House of Representatives as part of the "Contract with America," and a Senate bill, S. 605, is pending. S. 605 was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole and has 31 co- sponsors. Additional points made by Adler in his written statement were: - "Under current environmental laws individual Americans have been prevented from building homes, plowing fields, filling ditches, felling trees, clearing brush, and repairing fences, all on private land." - "Most 'takings' cases arise not when public health is at risk, but when the rights of landowners are suppressed by the federal government for non-essential purposes." - "While polls seem to indicate broad public support for current environmental laws, those same polls show strong public sentiment in favor of compensation for regulatory takings." CEI is a non-profit, non-partisan research and advocacy organization dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government. For more information, contact Greg Smith, (202) 331-1010. _______ ________ __________ / | | | |_______ | | | | \ _______ |_______ __________ COMPETITIVE ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE 1001 Connecticut Ave. NW #1250 Washington, DC 20036 202-331-1010, fax 202-331-0640 Permission to reprint must be obtained from the publishing journal listed above. Permission to copy granted as long as these lines are left intact. To subscribe to the cei list, send a message to CEI@digex.com. "The Virtual Hand: CEI's free-market guide to the information superhighway" is available for $5. CEI's monthly newsletter, "CEI UpDate," is free to contributors of $25.