Nebraska City — State Sen. Bill Kintner’s bill to prevent cities from adopting the United Nation’s Agenda 21 policies is scheduled for hearing with the Legislature’s Judicial Committee at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 13.
The bill says political subdivisions may not enact policies that infringe on property rights without due process.
Sen. Kintner said the bill is in response to implementation of Agenda 21 policy guidelines in Nebraska counties and cities.
With the signature of President George H.W. Bush, the United States became one of 178 countries to adopt the work emerging from the United Nation’s Conference on Environment and Development at the 1992 “Earth Summit” at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
The United Nation’s stated purpose for Agenda 21 is to combat poverty, control pollution, manage biotechnology and combat deforestation.
Kintner said Agenda 21 is based on extreme environmentalism and redistribution of wealth. He said organizations formed under the Agenda 21 banner could list grazing of livestock, erecting fences and burning of fossil fuels among unsuitable activities.
“Under Agenda 21 family farms would be put out of business through ever tightening regulations and forced acquisition of land through environmental trusts and perpetual easements,” he said.
He said urban locations would be impacted by policies that pack citizens into high density housing.
He said he introduced LB482 to protect private property rights and the sovereignty of the state by prohibiting leaders from entering into contracts with foreign and domestic entities related to Agenda 21.
Currently, 528 U.S. cities are members of the International Council for Local Environment Initiatives, an organization based in Oakland, Calif., that helps implement Agenda 21 programs. Half of the 1,200 city members worldwide are in the United States.
The council says Agenda 21 does not advocate for abolishing private property or have any bearing on U.S. local and state land use decisions
The Republican National Committee adopted a statement in opposition to Agenda 21 calling it “erosive of American sovereignty.”
The resolution says Agenda 21 considers the American way of life of private property ownership, single family homes, private car ownership and privately owned farms “all as destructive to the environment.”
Alabama became the first state to prohibit government participation in Agenda 21.
The council says its activities help local governments establish action plans to meet local goals.