Attorney Brian Jorde was featured again on MSNBC's "The Ed Show," this time to discuss the role of property rights in the Keystone XL battle.
"[Keystone XL] is a colossal financial risk that's being forced upon the landowners." – Brian Jorde
Ed Schultz of MSNBC's "The Ed Show" addressed Nebraskan's property rights as "an issue no one in the Senate is talking about." TransCanada for years has been pushing landowners to sign over their property rights by coming back with higher and higher monetary offers. Many Nebraskans still won't budge, even though they're offered substantial sums. One landowner featured in the segment was offered $307,000 if he would sign over his property rights to the Canadian oil giant.
Schultz also sat down with Mike Papantonio to discuss whether or not Nebraska landowners have a case. According to Papantonio, they do. As he recounts, in order for eminent domain to stand, there must be a great public need. Since there is no guarantee that even one drop of the oil passing through KXL will remain in the U.S., Papantonio believes there's not a strong enough case for eminent domain.
TransCanada has already begun filing the paperwork to initiate eminent domain proceedings against Nebraska landowners, prompted by the Nebraska Supreme Court's decision to let LB 1161 (the law that allowed Gov. Heineman and TransCanada to approve KXL's route) still stand as constitutional.