The Iowa Senate has passed a bill with new guardrails that would make it harder for companies to seize property for carbon pipelines and other energy-related infrastructure.
Senator Jeff Taylor of Sioux Center is among 12 Republicans who boycotted votes on the state budget in order to force a vote on the bill, which also requires more insurance for carbon pipelines.
“We’ve heard a lot the last week or two, criticism of those of us who stepped forward after waiting four long sessions for leadership to do something and they were willing to do nothing in terms of a floor vote and open floor debate,” Taylor said. “…This isn’t just a fight about constitutional propriety and authority. It’s also a fight about justice and it’s a fight about truth and it’s a fight about good government and those things are worth fighting for.”
Some of the Republicans who voted against the bill said they support private property rights, but they accused Republicans who voted for it of being stubborn, naive and inexperienced. Republican Senator Tim Kraayenbrink (KRY-en-brink) of Fort Dodge says the GOP group that pushed for the bill refused to compromise and ignored the rights of landowners who want the pipeline. “We’re stuck with this pile of crap,” Kraayenbrink said. “It’s going to cost Iowa…It’s going to cost us in economic growth.”
Senator Tony Bisignano of Des Moines defended the dozen Republicans and fellow Democrats who struck a bipartisan deal to get the bill passed. “This bill, regardless of how bad you think it is, I don’t see one you drafted,” Bisignano said. “When you start criticizing people who dug the ditch because they didn’t dig it right, look at your clean hands. You didn’t help.”
Republican Senator Mike Klemish of Spillville predicted that if the bill becomes law, the State of Iowa will be sued by Summit and landowners who signed contracts to allow the pipeline on their properties. “I believe it puts at risk taxpayers’ money in the state of Iowa to pay damages because we are moving the goalposts after the fact,” Klemish said.
Senator Dan Zumbach, a Republican from Ryan, said the bill will kill the Summit pipeline project. “Where’s the joy in the room, folks? Nobody’s smiling. Look at each other. Look to your left, look to your right. Everybody’s sitting here just frustrated as can be that we have a horrible piece of legislation in front of us.”
Senator Mike Bousselot, a Republican from Ankeny, called the House bill a Trojan Horse. “It is an attact on infrastructure for environmental extremists in the facade of killing one project,” Bousselot said.
Representative Steven Holt of Denison, one of the Republicans who crafted the bill, responded and notes Bousselot worked for the company that owns Summit Carbon Solutions, the pipeline developer. “This is not about environmental extremism at all,” Holt said. “it’s about protecting landowners and the arrogance the senator is showing and the disrespect…to property owners is frankly breathtaking.”
The bill now goes to the governor, who has the power to sign or veto it.