Des Moines, Iowa — Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver says he opposes a bill introduced in the Iowa House that would let 20 percent of House or Senate members force a vote on the use of eminent domain for proposed carbon pipelines.
The House bill, which cleared a subcommittee this week, would let 11 senators or 21 state representatives file a petition to intervene in Iowa Utilities Board proceedings and lawmakers would decide whether pipeline projects get eminent domain authority to seize property from unwilling landowners.
Governor Kim Reynolds told Radio Iowa she will not support any retroactive changes that would affect applications already filed for carbon pipeline construction permits. Whitver says there are widely varying views among the 34 Republicans in the Iowa Senate.
Whitver says there has been legislation introduced in the Senate that would require pipeline companies to fully restore farmland that’s dislodged along the pipeline route and that may be considered this year.
Whitver says he’d be interested in reviewing, but doesn’t have an opinion yet on another proposal that would speed up the court process for resolving property disputes along the pipeline routes. Whitver made his comments during the taping of Iowa Press which airs tonight (Friday) at 7:30 on Iowa PBS.
