Governor Abbott Applauds Sen. Buckingham, Rep. Bell’s Intention To Author Local Government Construction Project Permitting Legislation
In the upcoming special legislative session, Sen. Dawn Buckingham and Rep. Cecil Bell Jr. will author legislation to prevent local governments from taking private property rights by drastically changing property development rules on landowners after they have purchased the land. This is one of 20 items that Governor Abbott previously announced will be added to the special session agenda. The Governor issued a statement commending Sen. Buckingham and Rep. Bell for their work to end this regulatory overreach.
“Local governments have gone well-beyond traditional land-use zoning ordinances and are now imposing rules on private property that severely limit a landowners’ property rights,” said Governor Abbott. “When new, stricter rules are enacted that limit the valuable development of land after the landowner has purchased the land, the new rules are nothing short of a taking of private property rights. I thank Sen. Buckingham and Rep. Bell for their commitment to file this common-sense legislation.”
"I look forward to working on property rights legislation to defend Texans from governmental overreach,” said Sen. Buckingham. “I believe private property rights in Texas are sacred, and local governments should not be able to change the rules in the middle of the game. It's time to return some common sense to government regulation."
"We have all seen or heard about those nightmarish situations where a property owner is confronted by a city ordinance that changes what they can do with their property," said Rep. Cecil Bell Jr. "I am looking forward to working with Governor Greg Abbott during this special session to curb city ordinances that unduly infringe on the private property rights of Texans."