Governor Kim Reynolds’ veto of House File 369 that would have protected landowners from eminent domain is the wrong decision, especially for rural Iowans.

We read the Governor’s reasoning for the veto of the bill and we disagree with her veto and reasoning.

Especially because that bill has been the work of many concerned Iowans over the course of the past four years, advocating and informing their neighbors, friends and fellow citizens about the dangers of these pipeline projects that were proposed through the state and the rights they will challenge. Neighbors who wrote many letters to the editor, held forums and discussions on the projects that were going to be located around Mount Vernon and Lisbon which began in late 2021.

This is an issue that had bipartisan support and buy-in from numerous legislators to work on over the past two years as well. Our own Rep. Cindy Golding was among Republican lawmakers who saw this as an issue that needed to be addressed this legislative session because of the number of rural Iowans who placed it as a high priority.

It’s also hard to hide the fact, even with her argument that the bill would impact voluntary easement projects just as equally as it would projects that would utilize eminent domain, that argument doesn’t pass the smell test. There is a very big difference between a voluntary easement and developers using eminent domain to move a project forward that the governor seems to be glossing over – and that is consent of those involved. In voluntary easement, the property owners are okay with the project moving forward and likely not going to challenge the project from ever advancing to the next stages.

That’s not the case with eminent domain, and one of the big issues that many farmers and others have worried about. Landowners may not agree with a project, but because neighboring farms have signed on and through their field is the fastest way between two points, well, they lose rights to their property’s usage if they’re compensated for that inconvenience. They lose rights about what is done to their land and now have a hazard they wanted nowhere near their property to keep them up at night.

We know that Wolf Carbon Solutions withdrew its permit request for a pipeline that would have stretched between Cedar Rapids and Clinton in December of last year, but in its tabling of the project, said they may return to look at the project in the future.

We are encouraged that others in the state, including Representative Pat Grassley were looking to call a special section to try and pass another version of this bill, seeing the harm striking the bill will cause to numerous Iowans and knowing that this fight isn’t over nor will it be forgotten by many of the rural farmers this will impact. We hope that more of the urban representatives better understand the impact that this will have on all Iowans.

Shame on Reynolds for her veto and eliminating protections that many Iowans have advocated for over the past several year and allowing these pipeline projects to have one less obstacle in their ways.