Group seeks to limit government, protect against eminent domain

Tuesday, September 20th 2005, 8:17 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A government reform group is starting to petition drives intended to limit government spending in Oklahoma and to protect landowners in eminent domain cases.

The group Oklahomans in Action has filed the petitions with the secretary of state's office.

One petition would limit government spending based on inflation and population growth and surplus money would be returned to taxpayers as rebates.

The eminent domain petition would prevent government from condemning and taking private property, then transferring the property to a private business. It comes after a Supreme Court ruling allowing a Connecticut city to use eminent domain to take property and give it to another private party for economic development.

The group needs 219,564 signatures of registered voters on each petition to force an election on the proposals.