Eminent Domain Case Reaches Missouri Supreme Court

This morning, the Missouri Supreme Court heard oral arguments in City of Arnold v. Tourkakis, an eminent domain case that’s been ongoing for a few years now. We’ve profiled Homer Tourkakis and his “blighted” dental practice before, and his case was one of the many featured in our former editor Tim Lee’s eminent domain study, “The Specter of Condemnation: The Case Against Eminent Domain for Private Profit in Missouri.”

Last night, I posted a press release on our website that gives some background on the case, along with several links to other eminent domain resources, including the brief of amicus curiae filed by the Show-Me Institute, making an argument for strong property rights for Missourians.

This is a pivotal case. As the press release says, “This case will decide whether the Missouri Constitution still offers property owners any meaningful protection against municipalities seeking to give their homes, businesses, or houses of worship to commercial developers.” The rights of ordinary homeowners and small business proprietors hang in the balance.