The Iowa House has secured 70 signatures on a petition to convene a special legislative session to override Gov. Kim Reynolds’ veto of a bill aimed at curbing eminent domain use by carbon capture pipelines and other infrastructure projects, Republican lawmakers said.
But a tall hurdle remains for legislators to overturn Reynolds’ June 11 veto on House File 639 and make it law. Two-thirds of the Senate — which long declined to take action on limiting eminent domain — will need to join the House’s call before a special session could take place.
The Iowa Constitution allows Iowa lawmakers to convene a special session with the written support of two-thirds of both the House and Senate.
Reynolds has said HF 639 is written too broadly and could damage economic development in Iowa. Her veto was a blow to the dozens of Republican lawmakers who supported the bill and to landowners who for years have called for greater restrictions on eminent domain.
“This veto was a major setback for Iowa landowners and the tireless efforts of the House to safeguard property rights,” House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said in a statement Tuesday, June 17. “With 70 members of the House standing united, we’ve met the constitutional threshold to move forward. We now call on our colleagues in the Senate to join us by securing the necessary signatures so we can convene a special session, override this veto and deliver the protections Iowa landowners deserve against eminent domain for private gain.”
More: How Iowa lawmakers voted on a bill limiting eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines
Senate had passed legislation after years of inaction
House Republican lawmakers have worked for years to pass legislation curbing eminent domain use, only to see the Senate fail to take up their proposals.
Finally, in May, the majority-Republican Senate debated late into the night as 13 GOP senators joined most Democrats to pass HF 639 over opposition from 21 of their Republican colleagues.
The bill passed overwhelmingly by an 85-10 vote in the Iowa House, but a far narrower, 27-22 margin in the Senate — short of the 34 votes the chamber would need to convene a special session.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Grimes, previously said in a statement he supports Reynolds’ veto.
“Based on the votes on that bill in the Iowa Senate, a significant majority of our caucus supports a better policy to protect landowner rights,” Whitver said. “I expect that majority of our caucus would not be interested in any attempt to override her veto.”
Iowa Utilities Commission implemented parts of HF 639
Pressure has mounted to limit eminent domain use as Summit Carbon Solutions has proposed to build a $9 billion carbon capture pipeline that would span more than 2,500 miles across several states, including Iowa, and connect 57 ethanol plants and bury carbon dioxide from the plants deep underground.
Bruce Rastetter, Summit’s co-founder, is a prominent Republican Party donor. He has given Reynolds $175,000 since 2015 in donations and in-kind campaign contributions, according to Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board reports.
James Norris speaks as opponents to carbon pipelines and eminent domain gather on May 9, 2025, at the Iowa State Capitol.
The bill would have barred hazardous liquid pipelines, including carbon capture pipelines, from receiving eminent domain powers unless they qualify as common carriers, meaning they can prove they will sell the commodity to an unaffiliated buyer.
It also would have required pipeline companies to carry more insurance for their projects, allowed more people to intervene in Iowa Utilities Commission proceedings and required commission members to attend more meetings.
“We can do better,” Reynolds wrote in her veto message. “And I’m committed to working with the Legislature to strengthen landowner protections, modernize permitting and respect private property.”
In the meantime, the Iowa Utilities Commission — at Reynolds’ request — agreed to implement two of the bill’s provisions: requiring all Iowa Utilities Commission members to be present at hearings on proposed public utility regulations, electric transmission lines and pipelines and at least one commissioner attend all informational meetings held in counties along the project’s route.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@registermedia.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @marissajpayne.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: House clears hurdle to convene special session on eminent domain bill
