Democrats thumbed their collective noses at private property rights this week, killing a state Senate bill that sought to quickly evict squatters, drug dealers and freeloaders from vacant lots.

Why?

Because Democrats fear protecting private property might criminalize trespassers, which, last time we checked, was illegal.

The problem is many trespassers have found loopholes in the law allowing them to drag out the eviction process and stiff property owners with picking up the due process tab.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Dennis Hisey, R-Fountain, was killed along party lines in the Senate Committee on Local Government.

A different bill was passed last year when Republicans controlled the Senate to get squatters out of buildings in a timely fashion.

But with Democrats now in control of the state Senate, not only are they trying to rob us of our presidential vote in the Electoral College, they’re also erasing our private property protections.