NELSON PART OF BIPARTISAN GROUP TO UNDO SCOTUS RULING

Senator Bill Nelson is holding town hall meetings across the state this week, and at one of those meetings Wednesday in Fort Myers mentioned that he is part of a bipartisan group hoping to pass legislation which would undo a U.S. Supreme Court decision last week that local governments could take private property through the rules of eminent domain for economic development purposes.

Nelson was quoted in the Naples News:

"People ought to be outraged...We grew up with a man's home is his castle. It could be a Wal-Mart."

The legislation that the group is working on would ban federal monies from being used in any project where it is shown that eminent domain powers were used to take private property mainly for purposes of economic development.

Nelson said he believes that the Supreme Court would reverse it's decision over time, and that chose decisions such as the 5-4 vote in this case increase the interest over who President Bush will nominate to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who announced her retirement last week.

Florida's only statewide Democratic officeholder said he spoke with White House counsel this week, presenting his hope that the president will nominate someone who is open-minded and fair and will look at the facts of each case and apply the law.

Among other issues the senator spoke of during the meeting were his efforts against an attempt to allow drilling oil off Florida's Gulf Coast, the American military presence in Iraq, and federal support for the Babcock Ranch project.

One interesting notation: There was no mention of the Senator's visit in at least the online version of the Fort Myers News-Press; I had to get the story from the Naples News. Makes ya wonder...