The People vs. Power: Inside the Lawsuit That Challenges Eminent Domain Abuse in Louisiana

“This is not politics — it’s a fight for the rights of every landowner in the state.”

This week, something historic happened in Louisiana.

Save My Louisiana — joined by a group of citizens from Allen, Beauregard, Livingston, Rapides, and Vernon parishes — filed a lawsuit against Governor Jeff Landry and Energy Secretary Dustin Davidson for violating one of the most sacred principles in America: the right of the people to own their land, free from government abuse and corporate takeover.

For over a year and a half, since my own journey began in this battle against CCS, one thing has remained painfully clear: Baton Rouge has acted as though the people of Louisiana have no voice, no vote, and no constitutional protections when it comes to eminent domain. In 2020, behind closed doors and without the knowledge of the public, our elected officials rewrote the rules to give corporations the power to seize private land for carbon pipelines — pipelines designed not for public benefit, but for private profit.

And today, we find ourselves living in the consequences of that moment.

This lawsuit is not just a legal filing.
It is a reckoning.
It is the people of Louisiana standing up and saying: Enough

A System That Served Everyone Except the People

We did not get here by accident.

Over the last several years, millions of dollars — millions — have flowed into the pockets of politicians, lobbyists, and insiders in Baton Rouge and Washington, D.C. Those same individuals then turned around and pushed carbon capture onto our communities as if it were the only path forward… while refusing to answer basic questions from their own constituents.

Not one federal legislator has stood up for the people of Louisiana.
Not one has risked political convenience to defend landowners’ rights.
Every one of them has dodged questions, hidden behind “science,” or refused to speak altogether, even as families stand to lose land that has been in their families for generations.

We have been told that this is for the “public good.”
We have been told this is about “climate.”
We have been told to trust the process — even while the very people overseeing the process were being paid by those who stand to benefit from it.

If I have learned anything in the last 18 months, it is this:

When politicians try to take our land…
When government rewrites constitutional limits behind closed doors…
When corporations are given special rights that citizens do not have…
Party lines disappear.

This is no longer Republican vs. Democrat.
This is the people vs. the abuse of power.

What This Lawsuit Says to the Nation

The lawsuit filed in Baton Rouge states what thousands of us have been saying all along:

Louisiana’s eminent domain laws for carbon pipelines and storage wells are unconstitutional.

They grant special privileges to private corporations.
They strip citizens of due process.
They hand judicial authority to the executive branch — a direct violation of the separation of powers.

There are 33 CCS projects currently awaiting approval across 18 parishes. One well has already been approved. The rest are lined up like dominoes, waiting for the state to rubber-stamp them. If nothing changes, hundreds of thousands of acres will be condemned for carbon pipelines and injection wells, whether landowners consent or not.

State Treasurer and U.S. Senate candidate Dr. John Fleming echoed what so many of us already know:

“Eminent domain is designed for the public good… This is not for the public benefit. This is for a small group of people who will make lots of money.”

This is not climate policy.
This is not environmental protection.
This is not a public need.

This is a business model — a lucrative one — built on the backs of Louisiana citizens.

A Movement of Ordinary People

One of the most powerful truths of this moment is this:

The money behind this lawsuit does not come from corporations.
It does not come from PACs.
It does not come from political elites.

It comes from Louisiana citizens — the very people whose rights are being trampled.

Save My Louisiana started as a group of neighbors gathering in small community meetings because something didn’t feel right. As co-founder Mike Slocum said, residents weren’t even being told what CCS was. Today, that group has grown into a statewide force with one mission: to defend the people of Louisiana against government overreach and corporate abuse.

From mothers worried about their children’s health…
To landowners like Mona DeFries, who see this as a “slap in the face”…
To citizens who have studied the Satartia disaster and know the truth about CO₂ pipelines…
This movement is powered by ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Because when government fails to protect the people…
The people must protect themselves.

What Happens Next

If we are to reclaim the rights that were stolen from us in 2020, we must do three things:

1) Remain united.
 This is a statewide fight — not parish by parish, not political block by political block. United, we cannot be ignored.

2) Ask for God’s intervention.
 This battle is bigger than us. It is bigger than politics. We must anchor ourselves in faith, clarity, and courage.

3) Support Save My Louisiana.
 This lawsuit is funded by citizens. Not corporations. Not special interests. Not wealthy donors. By us — the people who refuse to be silenced.

If the state wants to weaponize eminent domain against the people, then the people will answer in court. If the politicians want to ignore the voices of their own constituents, then we will speak louder. If those in power believe that the people of Louisiana will quietly surrender their land, their rights, and their sovereignty…

They are deeply mistaken.

If you would like to support this historic constitutional challenge, you can contribute directly to Save My Louisiana. Every dollar comes from citizens, not corporations, and goes toward protecting the rights of landowners across our state. To donate, visit: www.savemylouisiana.org