Statewide Iowa — A bill scheduled for debate in a Senate committee 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 Tuesday.
Dan Tronchetti owns a farm near Paton 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 subcommittee, but he told pipeline critics it’s difficult to retroactively change regulations.
Republican Senator Mike Klimesh 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.
