FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2026
CALERA, AL – The Libertarian Party of Alabama stands with Fenn Church, a Calera resident fighting Alabama Power’s attempt to use eminent domain to run a transmission line across his property of more than 400 acres.
Alabama Power plans to cut a 125-foot-wide path through land that includes Mr. Church’s home, Buxahatchee Creek, wetlands, and old-growth trees. Mr. Church proposed alternate routes on neighboring timberland, and Alabama Power rejected them.
In September, Shelby County Circuit Judge Jonathan Spann temporarily blocked Alabama Power from entering the property. The judge found that Mr. Church had a strong likelihood of success on key claims, including that the route was chosen arbitrarily and capricious. An Alabama Power supervisor testified that the route was set with no consideration of zoning or the county’s land use plan, and that he had the discretion to bend the line around the property but chose not to. On October 21, the Alabama Supreme Court lifted that protection without explanation, allowing the company to proceed while Mr. Church’s case is still pending.
“If Alabama Power can bulldoze a man’s land before a court decides whether it had the right to, then winning in court means nothing,” said Samuel Bohler, Chair of the Libertarian Party of Alabama. “No Alabamian should lose their property before they get their day in court.”
The Libertarian Party of Alabama has long opposed eminent domain abuse, especially by private, for-profit companies. The party calls on the Alabama Legislature to require that a landowner’s legal challenge be resolved before any clearing or construction begins, and on the Alabama Public Service Commission to review how utility routes are chosen.
LPA members and leadership are going on site today in support of Mr. Church.
Take action today: Visit https://lpalabama.org to learn more about our principles and how you can contribute to a more civil and free political landscape in Alabama.
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Contact: Samuel Bohler
Chair, Libertarian Party of Alabama
chair@lpalabama.org
