By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

A House committee has approved a bill that outlines a new legal avenue for landowners who don’t want a carbon pipeline to run through their property.

Representative Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton said it’s the fifth time the House has introduced a bill to address the ability of developers to gain eminent domain authority to seize ground from unwilling property owners.\

“To the landowners that are here today, I will not stop fighting for you. House
Republicans will not stop fighting for you and I think you’ll see House Democrats will not stop fighting for you,” Kaufmann said. “This is a bipartisan issue….and this is now a live round for the rest of the session.”

The bill would give the Polk County District Court authority to review claims from landowners or developers about whether eminent domain authority may be used for any project — including the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions Pipeline.

Representative Chuck Isenhart of Dubuque said he’s not sure the Iowa Utilities Board will make a “clear determination” on whether Summit’s pipeline is “a public necessity” and, therefore, may use eminent domain. “I think the courts are ultimately are going to be the place where that happens,” Isenhart said, “so why don’t we get about that sooner rather than later?”

The bill cleared the House Ways and Means Committee on a 24-0 vote. It’s now eligible for House debate. Earlier this year the House passed a different bill about carbon pipelines, but it never came up in the senate before last week’s deadline for action on the bill.