Let senators vote on pipeline bills

Republican leaders who run the Iowa Senate must allow a wide-open vote on House bills placing restrictions on carbon sequestration pipelines.

The time for playing keep-away from good House bills has long passed. It’s a bipartisan issue that doesn’t cut neatly along party lines. It’s the sort of issue where leaders ought to allow members to vote their conscience.

Anything short of that is a failure to protect fundamental property rights in Iowa.

House File 943 would ban the use of eminent domain power to take property for construction of hazardous liquid pipelines. House File 693 puts in place a series of rules and restrictions for pipeline developers and the Iowa Utilities Commission.

The commission approved a permit for Summit Carbon Solutions, which was granted eminent domain authority to take property easements from reluctant owners to complete the Iowa portion of its 2,500-mile pipeline. The pipeline would carry carbon generated by ethanol plants to underground storage in North Dakota.

Summit’s lead investors, including prolific GOP contributor Bruce Rastetter, have, so far, held enough political cards to stop House bills. But their luck appears to be running out. Summit’s application was recently rejected in South Dakota.

Pipeline opponents, correctly, argue the project does not bring public benefits and, therefore, should not be allowed to use eminent domain. HF 943 was approved 85-12 and HF 639 prevailed 85-10. Opponents also question the constitutionality of the commission’s decision to allow eminent domain.

In recent years, similar bills have been dropped without debate in the Senate. This year, Senate leaders sought to amend a House bill to placate opponents, but the measure was so watered-down pipeline critics rejected it.

Now, 12 Republican senators signed a letter vowing to withhold their votes on budget bills until a “clean” up-or-down vote on House eminent domain bills is allowed. The defection of 12 senators will leave the 34 member Senate Republican majority short of the votes it needs to pass a budget, which could prolong the legislative session. Many Democrats will join Republicans to bottle up the Senate.

The defiant dozen include Republican Iowa Sens. Kevin Alons of Salix, Doug Campbell of Mason City, Rocky DeWitt of Lawton, Lynn Evans of Aurelia, Dennis Guth of Klemme, Mark Lofgren of Muscatine, Mike Pike of Des Moines, Dave Rowley of Spirit Lake, Sandy Salmon of Janesville, Dave Sires of Cedar Falls, Jeff Taylor of Sioux Center, and Cherielynn Westrich of Ottumwa.

Clearly, after years of frustration, lawmakers who oppose the use of eminent domain, potentially taking land from their constituents, have had enough. We hope they succeed in forcing a vote on measures supported by most lawmakers and most Iowans. That’s what they’re elected to do.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com