Vernon Ehlers: “Mr. Chairman, approximately 12 years ago, I was elected to the Michigan legislature and rapidly became immersed in…”

“Mr. Chairman, approximately 12 years ago, I was elected to the Michigan legislature and rapidly became immersed in takings issues, because Michigan is the only State of the Union which has been delegated responsibilities for wetlands by the U.S. Government. Takings was a major issue, and my initial reaction was to do precisely what the bill before us does, and that is provide for immediate compensation to property owners whenever an area of their property was declared a wetland. However, in researching the issue, I discovered that there is an extensive 200-year history. Takings is a very complex legal issue. It has a long history, as I mentioned, but it has developed into a basically fair approach. Generally, in takings cases, courts engage in a rigorous balancing process in which they consider a variety of factors, including the purpose of the law and the benefit or economic impact of the law. I believe that H.R. 925, as written, will destroy centuries of U.S. and common law and will create immense legal and financial problems if implemented as it is currently written.”