FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  May 31, 2006

Kieran Shanahan launches

N.C. Property Rights Coalition

Statewide grassroots organization will protect

private property rights, fight eminent domain abuse

RALEIGH, N.C. – Kieran Shanahan, a Raleigh attorney and former member of the Raleigh City Council, has launched a new statewide grassroots organization to protect citizens’ private property rights and fight eminent domain abuse.  The organization, called the North Carolina Property Rights Coalition, will push for an amendment to the North Carolina Constitution that prohibits the use of government’s eminent domain power to seize private property for economic development purposes.

“Private property rights are one of the cornerstones of our free society, and we must be vigilant in protecting our property from unwarranted taking by the government,” says Shanahan.  “Unfortunately, the private property rights of all Americans took a direct hit with the U.S. Supreme Court’s Kelo decision last year.  That’s why we created the North Carolina Property Rights Coalition -- to protect the property rights of North Carolinians from unlawful and overreaching action by state and local government.  We will push for public policies which preserve and protect our property rights, and we will fight eminent domain abuse and forced annexation.”

The North Carolina Property Rights Coalition (NCPRC) is a 501(c) (4) non-profit coalition of individuals, organizations, businesses and community leaders dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights and interests of property owners, as well as revealing misuses and threats of eminent domain throughout North Carolina.  More information on the N.C. Property Rights Coalition is available at www.NCPropertyRights.com.

Raleigh resident Kieran Shanahan serves as Chairman of the N.C. Property Rights Coalition.  Shanahan recently completed eight years of service on the Raleigh City Council.   During his tenure on the Council, Shanahan earned a reputation as a consistent voice for responsible government and common-sense leadership.  As a member of the City Council, Shanahan served as Chairman of the Law & Public Safety Committee and a member of the Comprehensive Planning Committee.  In 2001 he founded the Shanahan Law Group, a Raleigh firm concentrating in complex civil litigation as well as corporate and estate law.  Shanahan previously worked as a Federal prosecutor and a partner in the Raleigh office of Patton Boggs.  Kieran and his wife, Tina, live in Raleigh, where they are members of Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.  They have three adult children.

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