Concerned by what they see as a lack of action by lawmakers, landowners and others who oppose the use of eminent domain to construct pipelines across Iowa will have a public hearing at the Statehouse on Tuesday.
The proposed moratorium, which now goes to the state Senate, would not change the rules regarding the use of eminent domain or stop the construction of the three carbon pipelines proposed in Iowa. But it would provide 11 months of a level playing field for negotiations between landowners and companies hoping to construct pipelines, according to its sponsor.
Concerns about the possible use of eminent domain have increased over the past year as three companies have proposed building underground pipelines across Iowa. At informational meetings around the state since November, many landowners have raised concerns about eminent domain, safety of the pipelines and whether the companies should get tax credits for projects that may make money for the owners but not help Iowans or the environment.
Iowa elections’ recount procedures would be streamlined, funding from private groups to help elections operations would be prohibited, and an additional signature requirement for votes cast by mail would be added under a new proposal being considered by state lawmakers.
Although the $13 million in tax revenue Iowa collects from sports betting is a relatively small pot of money in the state’s $9 billion-plus annual revenue stream, it has caught the attention of lawmakers.
Mike Marshall, executive director of the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, said Monday that he has requested more information from Heritage Action after a leaked video showed the group’s director claiming the organization helped Iowa lawmakers draft legislation that constrained early voting.
“Iowans deserve to know who is writing their laws, and we will immediately be filing open records requests to get to the bottom of this,” said Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa.
By James Q. Lynch, Gazette Des Moines Bureau DES MOINES — The deaths of two Anamosa State Penitentiary staff members …
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