A "sharply divided" Washington Supreme Court today issued an unfortunate eminent domain decision. The case involved the notice local governments are required to give property owners before voting to take their property. The court's opinion essentially deems it proper for local governments to decide to seize property without the owners being notified of the meeting where the vote takes place.
Justice Jim Johnson, in his dissent, pretty much sums it up:
The constitutionally limited eminent domain power and important due
process safeguards of our constitution are again disregarded . . . The constitutional right to own property
and the public right to notice of governmental action loses again.