From: Devvy's Email Alerts<[email protected]> Date: March 7, 2012 Subject: Devvy's Email Alerts- Landowners score two victories in Keystone pipeline battleLinks are generally posted at my web site http://devvy.net/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/alerts/470592213303/ ______________ For Immediate Release March 7, 2012 CONTACT: Terri Hall, TURF, 210.275.0640, Debra Medina, We Texans, 512.663.8401, Julia Trigg Crawford, 713-443-8789 Texas Landowner Launches Defense Fund for Keystone XL Fight While federal private property bill exempts pipeline, two judicial victories Friday in Texas ( Paris , TX ) - Julia Trigg Crawford's fight to prevent TransCanada from seizing her property scored a big win late last Friday when an appellate court reinstated her temporary restraining order. With confidence renewed, Crawford and property rights groups allied with her cause launched StandWithJulia.com this week to help Crawford raise funds for her April 30 jury trial with TransCanada. "The support that's been coming my way from regular folks is just unbelievable," said Crawford. "But we know TransCanada sees my property as a key battleground and they're going to come at us with guns blazing, so we have to be ready to defend ourselves." Meanwhile, a coalition of organizations in Texas who are backing Crawford is expressing "exasperation" that the "The Property Rights Protection Act", H.R. 1443, will likely include an exemption for pipelines, including Keystone XL. The bill recently passed in US House of Representatives and is now before the Senate Judiciary Committee. "TransCanada and the Keystone Cushing/Gulf Coast segment are exempt," stated Calvin Tillman, former mayor of DISH, Texas , "This leaves landowners like Julia Trigg Crawford in Oklahoma and Texas in the lurch, subject to the clutches of TransCanada's ongoing eminent domain proceedings. But let's remember that it was the bravery and the tragedy of the Alamo that inspired victory the Battle of San Jacinto. TransCanada's bullying and lobbying has led to a groundswell of support for Julia and landowners like her, and I think TransCanada should be worried." Tillman urged citizens across Texas and America to stand with Julia and the Crawford's lawsuit by giving to the Crawford Defense Fund at <?dada redirect url=" ?>. The reinstatement of Crawford's temporary restraining order against TransCanada was not the only big news for her case last Friday. The same day the Texas Supreme Court also denied a motion for rehearing in the Denbury-Green pipeline case, subsequently reissuing an opinion that decidedly favors landowners. Debra Medina, former Republican gubernatorial candidate and executive director of the non-profit state policy group We Texans, responded to the decision saying, "The case points to an ongoing problem: there are no checks and balances in Texas to stop eminent domain abuse when it comes to pipelines. Trans Canada wants to take advantage of that fact and has mounted a powerful and expensive legal effort to do so. Meanwhile, Texans are fighting back. We stand with Julia, because her victory is a victory for the property rights of ALL Texans." The groups maintain that TransCanada has yet to prove its own common carrier status in its case against landowner Julia Trigg Crawford. TransCanada says its T-4 permit issued by the Texas Railroad Commission makes it a common carrier, but the group points to comments from the Railroad Commission itself saying it has no authority to grant common carrier status. Terri Hall, executive director of Texas TURF, echoed sentiments expressed by members of the groups, "We're elated that the appellate court reinstated the restraining order. Serious questions remain about TransCanada's legal authority to exercise eminent domain in the State of Texas . Texans don't like foreign companies coming into our state and taking our land for private profiteering. We didn't like it with the Trans Texas Corridor, which we defeated, and we don't like it now. We'll continue to stand with the Crawfords as they will have their day in court to challenge TransCanada's use of eminent domain in April." Those interested in helping the Paris landowner can give money to help her cause by visiting the site and donating via Paypal or by sending a check to the Crawford Defense Fund at: Crawford Defense Fund, PO. Box 155 , Sumner, TX 75486 http://standwithjulia.com/ http://devvy.net/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/alerts/375711193339/ ______________
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