On July 10, 2007, Governor Stickland signed Senate Bill 7 into law as new eminent domain legislation. The new law prohibits governments and agencies from taking private land solely for economic development and more clearly defines the existence of "blight." Senate Bill 7 was crafted based on the Final Report and extensive recommendations of an Ohio Eminent Domain Task Force. According to the Beacon Journal, neither side of the controversy is happy with the law. However, the new law is consistent with the Ohio Supreme Court's 2006 decision in the consolidated cases of City of Norwood v. Horney,et al. and City of Norwood v. Gamble, et al., wherein the Ohio Supreme Court refused to allow a municipality to take private property solely for economic benefit. That opinion specifically rejected the United State's Supreme Court's conflicting decision in Kelo v. City of New London.
