Letter to the Editor: Urges voter support for amendment

With the election just three weeks away, almost all of the media attention is being given to the presidential, senate, and congressional races in Virginia. Those are critical to determining the future direction of the country but there is more on the ballot than those races and more is at stake.

Virginia voters will vote on an important constitutional amendment dealing with private property rights.

The November ballot will contain a proposed amendment to Section 11 of Article 1 of the Constitution of Virginia. This amendment will ensure that your land cannot be taken and given to another private owner, and that all takings by the government would be for a true public use.

This amendment is important to avoid situations like the one in New London, Conn. where the city took private land and subsequently gave it to a developer. The Supreme Court upheld the city’s action in its Kelo decision. This amendment will protect against that kind of taking.

In the 2011 and 2012 General Assembly sessions, Del. Chris Peace, along with other representatives who believe in limited government and property rights, supported common sense property rights legislation that put the constitutional amendment on the ballot.

I encourage Virginians to vote in favor of the amendment on Election Day Nov. 6.

William O’Keefe
Providence Forge