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House Bill 5319 is a direct threat to private property rights guaranteed in the U.S. and Michigan constitutions.
"This bill would place groundwater in the public trust and would be the single biggest taking of private property in Michigan's history. The result: government ownership of groundwater, overturning a century of Michigan water law," explains Russ Harding, senior environmental policy analyst and director of the Property Rights Network, in a recent Detroit Free Press Op-Ed.
Harding also has written about this issue in Michigan Capitol Confidential.
According to the Spinal Column, concern over the bill, including Harding's analysis of it, led its sponsor to also introduce House Bill 6050, which states "The state or local unit of government shall not impose any taxes or fees on water withdrawals from wells on residential property."
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