31 GOP lawmakers, including those from our region, respond to the IUB carbon pipeline decision

Des Moines, Iowa – The top Republican in the Iowa House says the Legislature should update the state’s eminent domain laws in response to the Iowa Utilities Board’s decision to approve the route for the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline.

The board’s decision gives the company the authority to force reluctant property owners to lease the pipeline on their property. House Speaker Pat Grassley says landowner rights are one of the top priorities for House Republicans, which is why they’ve passed two different bills on the subject — bills that were passed by Republicans in the House of Representatives. led Iowa Senate have died. Grassley says House Republicans will seek feedback from Iowans on changes to the use of eminent domain in projects like the carbon pipeline. Two dozen other Republicans in the House of Representatives — and seven Republicans who are senators — signed a joint statement calling the Iowa Utilities Board’s decision a dark day for everyone who owns property in Iowa. The group says the administration has crossed a line and is tarnishing the state’s proud tradition of clean governance.

Proponents of the pipeline say it will help Iowa-produced ethanol compete in low-carbon fuel markets around the world. In a written statement, Monte Shaw of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association said that despite the overheated rhetoric from some, the vast majority of affected landowners support the project. According to the Summit CEO, 75 percent of Iowa landowners along the pipeline route have signed contracts to allow the pipeline to run through their properties.