EDITORIAL: SCOTUS smacks down California in property rights case (2024)

  • Home
  • >>Opinion
  • >>Editorials

Editorials

EDITORIAL: SCOTUS smacks down California in property rights case (1)

Decades ago, palm trees were planted in the Moapa Valley because of their shade and drought tolerance. They guzzle water and present a fire hazard but remain a part of the landscape in the Warm Springs Natural Area as seen here. Panoramas like these from the Overlook Trail at Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge include views of desert oasis greenery as well as the Mormon Mountains in the distance. (Natalie Burt Las Vegas Review-Journal)

More Stories

EDITORIAL: Blame Democrats for closure of private school in low-income areaEDITORIAL: Less than rosy economic numbers dog BidenEDITORIAL: Greens eye the Autobahn with floated ban on weekend driving in GermanyEDITORIAL: A middle ground in the Trump immunity case

Las Vegas Review-Journal

April 19, 2024 - 9:00 pm

Property rights are an inalienable right and a fundamental part of this nation’s political tradition. Yet they face ongoing attacks from government busybodies.

This month, a unanimous Supreme Court ruled that legislative governments can’t impose excessive fees on property owners looking to build on their own land. The ruling in Sheetz v. County of El Dorado, California, is a welcome limitation to the tentacles of government.

The case began in 2016 when George Sheetz sought to build a single-family home. He owned property in California’s El Dorado County. County officials there told him he had to pay $23,420 for “traffic impact mitigation” before he would be allowed to build. Even for California, that’s ridiculous.

Public officials involved were oblivious to the clear conflict with the Fifth Amendment’s Takings Clause, which prohibits the government from taking private property “for public use, without just compensation.”

Mr. Sheetz paid the fee to obtain the permit but did so under protest. He argued that any assessed traffic fee should be based on the need to mitigate traffic from his specific project. In what’s called the Nollan/Dolan test, the Supreme Court had previously ruled that permit conditions need to have an “essential nexus” to the government’s land-use requirements. In other words, the government can’t extort money from property owners by holding up their permits. Further, any fees must be generally proportional to the public burden added by the project.

State courts rejected that argument. They believed the excessive fee was constitutional because the County Board of Supervisors — rather than bureaucrats making decisions by fiat — had enacted the requirement through the legislative process. In its ruling, the high court dismissed that logic. Our rights would be hollow indeed if elected officials could simply pass laws to erode them.

“A legislative exception to the Nollan/Dolan test ‘conflicts with the rest of our takings jurisprudence,’ which does not otherwise distinguish between legislation and other official acts,” Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for the court. Further, “nothing in constitutional text, history or precedent supports exempting legislatures from ordinary takings rules,” she wrote. “The Constitution’s text does not limit the Takings Clause to a particular branch of government. The clause itself, which speaks in the passive voice, ‘focuses on (and prohibits) a certain ‘act’: the taking of private property without just compensation.’ It does not single out legislative acts for special treatment.”

It is significant that the court was united in its decision. The legislative branch cannot exempt itself from constitutional protections it finds inconvenient. Not even in California. The court’s ruling is a victory for property rights and common sense.

MOST READ

1Taylor Swift returns to Las Vegas Strip; album rockets to No. 12VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: Iran’s muscle flexing turns into the country’s nightmare3Fatal hit-and-run crash kills man near 215 Beltway in Summerlin4Tropicana was profitable right up until it closed, landowner says5A closer look at all 8 players drafted by the Raiders

'; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += ''; html += 'READ MORE'; html += 'LIVE WELL'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'STORIES LIKE THIS'; html += 'CLICK HERE FOR MORE'; html += ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += '

'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('livewell').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-sponsored-full').length>0) { return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-2023-year-in-review')) { html = ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += '2023 YEAR IN REVIEW'; html += 'CLICK HERE FOR MORE'; html += '

'; html += '

'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('2023-year-in-review').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-msg-sphere')) { html = ''; html += '

'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += '

'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('tag-msg-sphere').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-jeff-german-murder') || $('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-remembering-jeff-german')) { html = ''; html += '

'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += '

'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('jeff_german').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-911-anniversary')) { html = ''; html += '

'; html += '

See Also
Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights FREE LIVE STREAM (4/27/24): Watch 1st round of Stanley Cup Playoffs online | Time, TV, channelWhere Badgers stand with 2 2025 recruits after visitsTerry Anderson, AP reporter abducted in Lebanon and held captive for years, has died at 76Knights-Stars recap: Goalie stands on head despite hard-luck loss

'; html += 'REMEMBERING 9/11: 20 YEARS LATER'; html += 'Looking back at the 2001 terror attacks and how they affected Las Vegas and the world.'; html += 'Read more'; html += '

'; html += '

'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('anniversary-911').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-class-of-2021')) { html = ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += 'MEET THE UNFORGETTABLE CLASS'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += '2021'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('class-2021').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-2022-election')) { html = ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += 'ELECTION 2022'; html += 'Read more'; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += 'EDITORIAL: SCOTUS smacks down California in property rights case (16)'; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += 'ELECTION RESULTS'; html += 'Click here'; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += '

'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('election-2022').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-harry-reid-1939-2021')) { html = ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += ''; html += 'Harry Reid(1939-2021)'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'Senate leader and Nevada political titan'; html += 'Read more'; html += ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('harry-reid').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-henry-ruggs')) { html = ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += ''; html += 'HENRY RUGGSDEADLY CRASH'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'CLICK FOR MORE'; html += ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('henry-ruggs').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('category-homicides')) { html = ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += ''; html += 'HOMICIDE'; html += 'A STORY BEHIND EVERY NAME'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'TRACKER'; html += 'CLICK HERE FOR MORE'; html += ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += '

'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('homicides').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-sheldon-adelson')) { html = ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += ''; html += 'Sheldon Adelson(1933-2021)'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'Las Vegas visionary and Philanthropist.'; html += 'Read more'; html += ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('sheldon-adelson').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-tony-hsieh')) { html = ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += ''; html += 'Tony Hsieh(1973-2020)'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'Ex-Zappos and Downtown Project CEO left a lasting impression on Las Vegas.'; html += 'Read more'; html += ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('tony-hsieh').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-vegas-weekend')) { //vegas-reawakening html = ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += 'VEGAS REAWAKENING'; html += 'A year after the pandemic began, the first weekend of spring showed a perfect storm of promise for Las Vegas’ recovery and brought optimism that visitors would indeed return to the city'; html += 'Read more'; html += '

'; html += '

'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('vegas-reawakening').html(html); return; } //add newsletters embed var default_category_to_show = ['News', 'Local', 'Life', 'Crime']; var newsletter_1st_lv = []; newsletter_1st_lv['default'] = {'id':'starting_point,pm_update', 'track_name':'StartingPoint', 'title':'LOCAL NEWS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free daily Morning and Afternoon Update newsletters.'}; newsletter_1st_lv['Sports'] = {'id':'sports', 'track_name':'Sports', 'title':'SPORTS NEWS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free daily Sports Update newsletter.'}; newsletter_1st_lv['Business'] = {'id':'business', 'track_name':'Business', 'title':'BUSINESS NEWS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free Business Update newsletter.'}; newsletter_1st_lv['Entertainment'] = {'id':'','alert_id':'entertainment', 'track_name':'Entertainment', 'title':'WANT THE LATEST ON LAS VEGAS ENTERTAINMENT?', 'subtitle':'Sign up for free entertainment email alerts'}; //newsletter_1st_lv['Nevada Preps'] = {'id':'nevada_preps', 'title':'HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Stay up to date with our free Nevada Preps newsletter.'}; //newsletter_1st_lv['Investigations'] = {'id':'rj_investigates', 'title':'INVESTIGATIVE NEWS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free RJ Investigates newsletter.'}; var cat_has_subcat = ['News','Business','Entertainment','Sports', 'Opinion']; var newsletter_2nd_lv = []; newsletter_2nd_lv['Politics and Government'] = {'id':'','alert_id':'political', 'track_name':'Political', 'title':'LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL POLITICS COVERAGE', 'subtitle':'

Sign up for our free RJ politics email alerts.

'}; //newsletter_2nd_lv['Politics and Government'] = {'id':'political', 'title':'ELECTION 2020: BE INFORMED', 'subtitle':'

FULL COVERAGE | ELECTION RESULTS

Sign up for our free RJ Politics newsletter.

'}; //newsletter_2nd_lv['Debra J. Saunders'] = {'id':'44', 'title':'YOUR WEEKLY POLITICAL FIX', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free DC-LV newsletter with political stories from the swamp to the Strip.'}; //newsletter_2nd_lv['CES 2021'] = {'id':'ces', 'title':'CES 2021: STAY IN THE KNOW', 'subtitle':'

The Review-Journal is a media partner with the CTA. Click here for full coverage and live video from CES 2021

Sign up for our free newsletter below.'}; //newsletter_2nd_lv['TV'] = {'id':'tv_briefing', 'title':'GET YOUR TV LISTINGS', 'subtitle':'Your Weekly TV Briefing.'}; //newsletter_2nd_lv['UNLV'] = {'id':'unlv_rebel_news', 'title':'UNLV SPORTS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Stay up to date on the Rebels with our free newsletter.'}; newsletter_2nd_lv['Rodeo'] = {'id':'rodeo_nfr', 'track_name':'RodeoNFR', 'title':'RODEO NEWS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Don\'t miss any of the action! Click here for full NFR coverage or Sign up for our free newsletter below'}; newsletter_2nd_lv['Raiders News'] = {'id':'vegasnation', 'track_name':'VegasNation', 'title':'WANT EVEN MORE RAIDERS NEWS?', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free Vegas Nation newsletter.'}; newsletter_2nd_lv['Golden Knights'] = {'id':'','alert_id':'golden_knights', 'track_name':'GoldenKnights', 'title':'WANT MORE KNIGHTS IN YOUR DAY?', 'subtitle':'Sign up for free Golden Knights email alerts for all the latest updates'}; var main_cat = ''; var m_hierarchy = []; var m_cat = []; var m_hl_cat = ''; if (window.dataLayer[0].metrics) { main_cat = window.dataLayer[0].metrics.section; //National Finals Rodeo m_hierarchy = window.dataLayer[0].metrics.hierarchy.split(' | '); //"Sports | Rodeo | National Finals Rodeo" m_cat = window.dataLayer[0].metrics.categories; //["National Finals Rodeo","Rodeo","Sports"] m_hl_cat = window.dataLayer[0].metrics['hl-category']; //Sports } var i, k, found, newsletter; newsletter = false; found = false; if (default_category_to_show.includes(m_hl_cat)) { newsletter = newsletter_1st_lv['default']; } if (newsletter_1st_lv.hasOwnProperty(m_hl_cat)) { newsletter = newsletter_1st_lv[m_hl_cat]; } // check main category if (newsletter_2nd_lv.hasOwnProperty(main_cat)) { found = true; newsletter = newsletter_2nd_lv[main_cat]; } if (!found) { // check in hierarchy (main category hierarchy) i = m_hierarchy.length; while (!found && i >= 0) { i--; if (i > 0) { if (newsletter_2nd_lv.hasOwnProperty(m_hierarchy[i])) { found = true; newsletter = newsletter_2nd_lv[m_hierarchy[i]]; } } else { // i=0, check first level if (newsletter_1st_lv.hasOwnProperty(m_hierarchy[i])) { found = true; newsletter = newsletter_1st_lv[m_hierarchy[i]]; } } } } if (!found) { // check in category i = m_cat.length; while (!found && i > 0 && cat_has_subcat.includes(m_hl_cat)) { i--; if (newsletter_2nd_lv.hasOwnProperty(m_cat[i])) { found = true; newsletter = newsletter_2nd_lv[m_cat[i]]; } } } if (newsletter !== false && !$('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-hide-newsletter') && !$('.rj-story-full').hasClass(' rj-story-sponsored-full')) { var alert_id = ''; if (newsletter.alert_id) { alert_id = newsletter.alert_id; } html = ''; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += '

'+newsletter.title+'

'; html += '

'+newsletter.subtitle+'

'; html += '

'; html += '' html += '

'; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += 'By signing up you agree to our Privacy Policy and '; html += 'Terms of Service. Unsubscribe at any time.'; html += '

'; html += '

'; html += 'This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.'; html += '

'; html += '

See Also
Plunder Dome anniversary; Brown protests; 'Ella McCay' filming: Top stories this week

'; $('.nlsm-small').html(html); } //});})(jQuery);

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.

THE LATEST

EDITORIAL: Blame Democrats for closure of private school in low-income area

RJ

Nevada Democrats have long put politics over helping students.

EDITORIAL: Less than rosy economic numbers dog Biden

RJ

Growth craters, inflation increases.

EDITORIAL: Greens eye the Autobahn with floated ban on weekend driving in Germany

RJ

Warnings about the agenda of global warming alarmists can seem farfetched. But what’s happening in Germany shows that isn’t the case.

EDITORIAL: A middle ground in the Trump immunity case

RJ

No president can be above the law. But do we want a system that opens up a former president to politically motivated prosecutions involving policy disputes?

EDITORIAL: Biden tax plan would pummel average Americans

RJ

Mr. Biden’s budget, unveiled in March, spends at a record pace. The debt would continue to soar and trillion-dollar deficits would become the new norm.

EDITORIAL: 9th Circuit went too far with homelessness ruling

RJ

Nothing in the Constitution gives the homeless have a right to occupy public property at their leisure. The Supreme Court should rein in the 9th Circuit.

EDITORIAL: Info on hostages ‘valuable,’ can’t be given for ‘free’

RJ

The cease-fire would allow the terror group to re-arm and re-configure itself to continue its quest of Israel’s destruction another day. The “prisoner” exchange is heavily lopsided in favor of the terrorists.

EDITORIAL: As students flee, CCSD’s budget soars

RJ

Rewarding the Clark County School District financially for its continued failures won’t improve education. It will only make it more expensive.

EDITORIAL: City’s Badlands embarrassment gets worse

RJ

String of court losses will cost taxpayers. How deep a sinkhole will it become?

EDITORIAL: Acquitted of the crime, but still does the time

RJ

Commission recommends reforming noxious 40-year-old sentencing policy.

MORE STORIES

EDITORIAL: Court must slap down moonlighting lawmakersEDITORIAL: Acquitted of the crime, but still does the timeEDITORIAL: A middle ground in the Trump immunity caseEDITORIAL: Blame Democrats for closure of private school in low-income areaEDITORIAL: How to burn tax dollars and have little to show for itEDITORIAL: The A’s miss a prime opportunity

'; html += '

' html += '

'+d['title']+'

'; html += '

'; $('.rjp-related .base-'+base+' .field-story').append(html); } }});})(jQuery);

EDITORIAL: SCOTUS smacks down California in property rights case (2024)

References

Top Articles
Easy Hamburger Steak Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen
Bobby Flay Salisbury Steak Recipe ( With Mushroom Gravy) - Chefjar
How Much U.S. Aid Is Going to Ukraine?
Radical functions & their graphs (article) | Khan Academy
Latest Posts
Best Slow Cooker Pepper Steak Recipe
Breakfast Keto Smoothie - Vegan Recipe
Article information

Author: Msgr. Refugio Daniel

Last Updated:

Views: 5686

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (54 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Msgr. Refugio Daniel

Birthday: 1999-09-15

Address: 8416 Beatty Center, Derekfort, VA 72092-0500

Phone: +6838967160603

Job: Mining Executive

Hobby: Woodworking, Knitting, Fishing, Coffee roasting, Kayaking, Horseback riding, Kite flying

Introduction: My name is Msgr. Refugio Daniel, I am a fine, precious, encouraging, calm, glamorous, vivacious, friendly person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.