A development to watch: the supporters of Oregon’s Measure 37 (which we discussed earlier) are considering moving north, by introducing a similar ballot initiative in Washington.
In a nutshell, Measure 37 requires the government to compensate long-time landowners when regulations significantly reduce the value of a particular parcel of land. (Of course, no property owner has to refund money when a government action increases the value of land—but that’s a nuance that got lost in the debate.)
Nobody yet knows quite how the passage of Measure 37 in November is going to play out in Oregon, but it’s expected to make it far more complicated and expensive to enforce Oregon’s successful anti-sprawl policies. Which makes it very important to watchdog not only the implementation of Measure 37, but also attempts to export the idea to other parts of the U.S.