(Des Moines) — A bill scheduled for debate in a Senate committee today (Wednesday) would take away the Iowa Utilities Board’s power to grant eminent domain to private companies, so land may be seized for carbon pipelines and similar projects. Senator Jeff Taylor, a Republican from Sioux Center, is the bill’s sponsor.
Jeff Boeyink is a lobbyist for Summit Carbon Solutions, the company that’s hired former Governor Terry Branstad to promote its carbon pipeline. Boeyink says changing the rules for eminent domain would send the message that Iowa’s regulatory climate is unstable.
Iowans who’ve been notified their property is along the proposed routes for carbon pipelines spoke at an hour-long Senate subcommittee hearing on the bill yesterday (Tuesday).
Dan Tronchetti owns a farm near Paton (PAY-ton) in Greene County.
Kathy Stockdale of Iowa Falls held up a map showing the route for a proposed pipeline would pass through the middle of her farm.
Republican Senator Craig Williams of Manning voted to advance the bill out of
Republican Senator Mike Klimesh (KLIH-mesh) of Spillville says the bill as currently written is too broad.
But Klimesh says the issue merits more discussion and that’s why he also voted to make the bill eligible for consideration in the Senate Commerce Committee today (Wednesday).
Republican State Representative Tom Jeneary of Le Mars says it may be doubtful as to whether the carbon pipeline issue will be brought forward to a House committee. Jeneary, who is the sponsor of a companion bill in the House of Senator Taylor’s bill, says when he consulted with other House leadership members, there is some concern as to whether or not there would be enough votes to pass the eminent domain/carbon pipeline bill out of a House committee.
In each of State Representative Jeneary’s four town hall meetings during the last couple of weeks, the issue of the proposed carbon pipelines was discussed, with the majority of those attending the town hall meetings against having the pipeline companies use eminent domain to install the carbon pipelines.
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