OLYMPIA — Legislation to protect landowners from unfair eminent domain practices was signed into law today by Gov. Bob Ferguson.
Senate Bill 5142, or the Houston Eminent Domain Fairness Act, will help ensure landowners who have land procured by school districts through eminent domain have the first right of refusal if the land is not used for its intended purpose. The bill mandates school districts must then offer the land to the previous owner at the original price.
The legislation was prompted by the story of the Houston family of Renton. The Houston’s property was procured by the Renton School District in 1968 for $44,600. The district did not go through with the construction of any school facilities and sold it to a developer in 1980 for $186,675, more than four times the amount the district paid for the land. Today, million-dollar homes cover the property.
“This is an important step in ensuring homes and land, the most important forms of creating generational wealth, are not procured and sold for profit instead of building a school down the line,” said Sen. Bob Hasegawa (D-Tukwila), prime sponsor of the legislation. “Our hope is that what happened to the Houstons never happens again and that families have the opportunity to return home.”
In King County just 28% of black families own homes, compared to 62% of white families—one of the lowest rates in the country. Nationally, 44% of black families own their homes.
“We understand the magnitude of this problem and how generational wealth is being stolen,” Hasegawa noted while testifying in front of the Senate Law & Justice Committee in January. “This opens the door to a much larger conversation about reparations and how we are going to deal with this problem in the future, and how we make sure everybody has equal opportunities for their families.”
The bill passed both the House and Senate with bipartisan support and the legislation goes into effect July 27, 2025.
###
