DES Moines, Iowa — After years of discussing carbon capture pipelines and if companies should be allowed to use eminent domain for their projects, Senators finally passed a bill 27-22, sending it to Governor Kim Reynolds desk.
It wasn’t a normal vote, though as Democrats joined about a dozen GOP Senators in advancing the legislation with most Republicans voting against the proposal.
Senators debated the bill for roughly five hours and stopped every once in a while to caucus.
The biggest issue this bill addresses is the common carrier definition which property rights advocates say the carbon capture pipelines would no longer qualify. The proposal also states that in order to use eminent domain a company must clearly and convincingly meet the definition of public use. The bill would effectively ban carbon capture pipeline companies from using eminent domain. However, property rights advocates fear, if a company like Summit Carbon Solutions is able to meet the definition they would be allowed to use eminent domain.
Senators who opposed the bill said it was a bad bill that was written too broadly and would have unintended consequences. Many also felt it targeted one project, Summit Carbon Solutions.
Meanwhile, supporters said it’s written in Iowa’s constitution that eminent domain can not be used for private gain and it was time the legislature enacted policy to protect landowners.
Landowners, supporters of the legislation, and some Agriculture groups, opponents, stayed in the Senate gallery all night.
