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Republican Senator Nathan Dahm announced he is filing Senate Bill 41 for consideration in the next legislative session to help Oklahoma property owners avoid being abused by the eminent domain law.

Specifically, SB 41 seeks to replace the term “public purpose” with “public use” so there is a clear delineation of how economic development agencies and government entities can designate a property for eminent domain. It will also improve the definitions of blighted and abandoned property so the burden of proof is on the condemning authority rather than on the property owner. Finally, the bill allows for property owners to reclaim condemned properties if the condemning authority fails to utilize the property for the reason it was condemned or within a specified time.