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Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pipeline bill survives funnel with major amendment from senators
Iowans opposed to carbon dioxide pipelines hand out buttons that read "No CO2 pipelines" at the Iowa State Capitol Mar. 18. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Iowa senators amended and advanced on Wednesday a House bill aimed at protecting private property rights from eminent domain. House representatives passed the proposed legislation last week which combines a series of bills aimed at reforming the Iowa Utilities Commission and preventing the Summit Carbon Solutions' pipeline from using eminent domain in the state. Sen. Mike Bousselot, R-Ankeney, said the Senate subcommittee meeting on the issue was 'long awaited.' Bousselot said his goal 'has always been' to pass legislation that protected 'all landowners' and not just those affected by certain projects, which he alleged House legislation over the past several years has done. 'House File 639, before us today focuses only on creating additional property rights for land impacted by potential hazardous liquid pipelines … but does not take into account all types of pipelines, transmission lines or power generation,' Bousselot said. Bousselot proposed an amendment that would remove certain parts of the House bill and add language to 'avoid' eminent domain by allowing a project to find voluntary easements outside of the original project corridor. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Bousselot said this would apply to 'any project seeking eminent domain approval before the IUC, including pipelines, transmission lines and power generation.' His amendment would also require the Iowa Utilities Commission to make, within one year, a decision on any project that is seeking eminent domain rights. 'By saying that decision needs to be made within one year, there's plenty of time for fact finding, but it also means, like the court cases that are going on today, those court cases get to court faster,' Bousselot said. As passed from the floor, House File 639 would have: Increased the insurance requirements for a hazardous liquid pipeline to cover any damages to property and reimburse landowners for increases in their property insurance premiums due to the pipeline. Changed the definition of a common carrier, to require a hazardous liquid carrier to establish with 'clear and convincing evidence' that it will transport a commodity. Required an Iowa Utilities Commissioner to be present at all proceedings. Allowed any interested party, including lawmakers, to intervene in IUC proceedings. Restricted the IUC's ability to sanction intervenors Limited the length of a hazardous liquid pipeline permit to one 25-year term. Bousselot's proposed amendment would strike the common carrier definition, permit limits, intervenor requirements and would adjust the insurance requirements. The amendment would add a requirement for the 'lifetime' repair and replacement costs for drainage tile, crop loss and soil degradation. Under the proposed amendment landowners would also be able to request, and be granted, a new land representative. The amendment retains the requirement that a commissioner from the IUC be present at informational meetings and hearings, and the section on insurance requirements that hold operators responsible for damages caused by the projects. Some of the landowners said the contents of Bousselot's amendment were 'a surprise' and they questioned how the landowners outside of the corridor, or the area around a proposed eminent domain project, would be notified. Jake Highfill, on behalf of the American Petroleum Institute said the organization was in favor of the corridor change and that it was 'common practice' for members of the institute in other states. Jake Ketzner, a lobbyist for Summit Carbon Solutions, urged lawmakers to vote against 'any piece of legislation that changes the rules in the middle of a project.' Ketzner said the company has been suggesting the corridor change Bousselot proposed and appreciated the amendment, noting it would give the project a route forward in counties where it currently has 90-95% of easements secured. 'If we have the ability to move off someone's ground that does not want the project, currently, the only way to deal with that is restarting,' Ketzner said. 'So we think what you're suggesting makes a lot of sense.' Sen. Matt Blake, D-Urbandale, said he signed off on the bill in subcommittee because it was the 'last train out of the station' on the private property rights issue, but he urged his colleagues to vote against the amendment, which he called a 'tremendous change to the system.' Sen. Tony Bisignano, a Democrat from Des Moines, said he opposed the amendment because of its rushed nature, and because he felt it was not 'solving property rights.' 'We haven't had a time to talk with people, to step back and really look at it,' Bisignano said of the amendment. 'These people deserve the debate on eminent domain and property rights. This is a consolation.' He voted in favor of the amendment to 'keep it alive' for floor debate, which he has pushed for earlier in the session via a failed amendment to chamber rules. The committee voted to adopt the amendment. 'This amendment builds on the work that was found in House File 639, retaining some, adding a lot, but ultimately is a major, major addition to strengthening and protecting private property rights in Iowa,' Bousselot said. The bill advanced to the Senate floor via a voice vote in favor. Bousselot said he intends to file an additional amendment on the floor dealing with communications. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Iowa House votes to ban eminent domain for CO2 pipelines
Iowans gathered at the Iowa State Capitol to rally against carbon dioxide pipeline projects March 18, 2025. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) The Iowa House approved a bill Wednesday that would stop pipelines carrying liquified carbon dioxide from using eminent domain. Six other bills related to carbon sequestration pipelines, eminent domain and the Iowa Utilities Commission were combined into one bill, which also advanced. The bills were directed at an ongoing fight between landowners and the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline, which would stretch more than 1,000 miles in Iowa connecting to biofuel refineries and transporting the sequestered carbon dioxide to underground storage in North Dakota. House File 943 is similar to a law recently passed in South Dakota, another state crossed by the pipeline's proposed route. Summit recently asked South Dakota regulators to pause proceedings on its pipeline permit due to the new law. South Dakota governor signs eminent domain ban on carbon pipelines The Iowa bill would take effect in May and apply to any eminent domain filings made on or after that date. Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, said businesses should 'expect the unexpected' if they plan to use eminent domain in Iowa. 'Expect that we're going to make changes when eminent domain is involved, and expect that we're going to make changes in favor of landowners,' Kaufmann said. Pipeline opponents advocated for the bill March 18 during a rally at the Capitol and again on Monday at a press conference with a group of Republican lawmakers opposed to the pipeline project. The bill passed 82-12. Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw said in a press release the decision by the House was 'hardly surprising, but it is still disappointing.' 'IRFA members have been saying for three years that (carbon capture and sequestration) is the most important tool available to grow ethanol demand into new markets both here at home and around the world,' Shaw said in the statement. Shaw said he believes 'cooler heads will prevail in the Senate' and said the opposition to the project has been led by a 'small, though loud, minority.' 'IRFA calls on the Iowa Senate to stand with the majority of impacted landowners, farmers, ethanol producers, and Iowa's economic future to ensure the state has the tools it needs to meet the brewing economic disaster in the heartland,' Shaw said. House File 639 would increase the insurance requirements for liquid hazardous pipeline operators. The five amendments to the bill would also update the definition of a common carrier, require IUC commissioners to be present at all hearings, expand who is allowed to intervene in an IUC docket, limit the pipeline permits to one term not longer than 25 years and stop the IUC from imposing sanctions on intervenors. These were all bills that had already advanced from House committees, but Rep. Steven Holt combined into HF 639. Holt, R-Denison, said with all of the amendments, the bill should be called the 'no eminent domain for private gain' bill. The bill passed 85-10. A spokesperson for Summit said the company has signed easements with more than 1,320 Iowa landowners and has 'adjusted the route based on feedback from stakeholders and regulatory agencies.' 'Regulatory certainty is crucial for maintaining Iowa's competitive edge in business, fostering long-term opportunities for farmers, ethanol producers, and rural communities,' the spokesperson said in a statement. Some representatives voiced concern because of historic opposition in the Senate. Rep. Brian Meyer spoke in support of the bills but said he wondered if lawmakers were 'wasting our time here today.' 'We've done this now several years in a row, and the Senate has not acted,' Meyer, D-Des Moines, said. 'As far as I can tell, they have not even tried to negotiate … Do something. Do something about this important issue.' Rep. Charley Thomson, R-Charles City, said he appreciated the concerns about the Senate on the issue and said he believes the House will 'do the right thing without regard for what others may do.' Holt said the issue is not partisan and that in both the House and the Senate, the two parties disagree with one another on the issue. He disagreed with a claim that he and other lawmakers fighting for the issue are doing so performatively. 'We're doing it because it's the right thing to do,' Holt said. 'And regardless of whether the Senate is going to pass it or not, we're going to fight for it here because it's the right thing to do.' Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Iowa House bill would require schools to stock tampons and sanitary napkins in bathrooms
Iowa students in sixth through 12th grades would have access to free feminine hygiene products in their school bathrooms under a bill advancing in the Iowa House with bipartisan support. House File 543, which passed out of a subcommittee Monday, would appropriate state funding for three years to require schools to stock cost-free feminine hygiene products in at least half of the restrooms in school buildings in the district for students in six through 12th grades. Products like "sanitary napkins, tampons or other similar items used for feminine hygiene" would be available in bathrooms, according to the bill. Maanya Pandey, a third-year University of Iowa student and president and founder of the nonprofit Love for Red, which advocates for access to feminine hygiene products, said she's brought the bill to lawmakers' attention for years and feels hopeful for its passage this time. She said many schools' teachers pay out of pocket to provide feminine hygiene products to students. "Your options are begging people around you for a product, the coin-operated dispensers — who carries around change anymore? — missing more class time than you already have to visit the nurse, or use what's available, stuffing toilet paper into your underwear, hoping you don't bleed through your pants during the day," Pandey said. The bill would make Iowa the 29th state to fund free access to feminine hygiene products in schools, Pandey said. Rep. David Young, R-Van Meter, who introduced the bill, said the three-year appropriation from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2028, in the bill allows the state to assess the costs and need to require schools to offer feminine-hygiene products. Young estimated the cost would be about $200,000 per year statewide. "This is coming from a lot of students, parents as well, even school administrators," Young said after the subcommittee meeting. "But I think particularly single parents who are kind of on the hook financially sometimes who could really use the support to make sure that their daughters can have this and stay in school." Pandey said Love for Red is working on more ways to fund free feminine hygiene products in Iowa schools, including establishing a grant. "It's definitely a need that's there, and I am hoping it's not the only step that's taken," Pandey said of the bill. Subcommittee member Rep. Heather Matson, D-Ankeny, said she's thrilled that the idea of the bill has garnered bipartisan support. House Democrats, including Matson, introduced an identical bill this year. "Every woman and girl knows what this is like, and I am incredibly grateful that we are having this conversation," Matson said. Pandey said she's heard from Iowa K-12 students who would rather skip school when they have their period because of the obstacles they have to jump through to access a feminine hygiene product. "I think this issue is a bipartisan issue. It affects half of our population, and I'm hoping we can get students to not be absent in schools, especially with chronic absenteeism being such a big issue in our legislature right now," Pandey said after the subcommittee meeting. Chronic absenteeism skyrocketed in many Iowa districts during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and hasn't returned to pre-pandemic levels. Dane Schumann, a lobbyist for the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, said the bill's passage would follow the Legislature's push in recent years to tackle chronic absenteeism. "This is a big problem that leads to chronic absenteeism, I'm sure, for lower-income students," Schumann said. Sabine Martin covers politics for the Register. She can be reached by email at or by phone at (515) 284-8132. Follow her on X at @sabinefmartin. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa House bill requires schools to stock feminine hygiene products
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Iowa House panel approves pipeline-related bills, parental consent for social media
Before a House Judiciary Committee meeting, Rep. Eddie Andrews, R-Johnston, takes a selfie with landowners who regularly attend legislative hearings on bills pertaining liquid hazardous pipelines and eminent domain. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Representatives from the House Judiciary Committee advanced another slate of bills that would impact hazardous liquid pipeline projects, and a bill that would require parental consent for minors who wish to start a social media account. The pipeline bills would limit the length of permits, increase the insurance requirements of a pipeline operator, mandate official presence at informational meetings and allow landowners to seek declaratory judgment on eminent domain claims. The bills were introduced and supported by lawmakers who have voiced opposition to the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline that would transport sequestered carbon dioxide across Iowa, and surrounding states, to underground storage in North Dakota. House File 238 would limit permits for liquified carbon dioxide pipelines to 25 years and prohibit the Iowa Utilities Commission from renewing those permits. It passed 20-1, with Rep. Brian Lohse, R-Bondurant, voting no. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX House File 240 would increase insurance requirements for pipeline operators to cover any potential damage to property from construction or ruptures. Pipeline operators would additionally have to reimburse landowners for increases to insurance premiums caused by the presence of the pipeline. Summit Carbon Solutions, as a condition of its permit granted by the Iowa Utilities Commission, is required to carry a $100 million insurance plan. HF 240 passed with the same margins as HF 238, with Lohse again dissenting. House File 241 would mandate the attendance of at least one member of the Iowa Utilities Commission at all informational meetings and hearings. Current code allows the commission to send a representative on its behalf to preside at the meetings. Lawmakers and pipeline protesters, in a subcommittee on the bill, said the commissioners' lack of personal attendance at meetings for the pipeline project as demonstrative of 'arrogance' toward property owners. Rep. Brian Meyer, D-Des Moines, said he was 'shocked' to hear commissioners were not attending meetings. He and the rest of the committee voted in favor of the bill. House File 242 would allow Iowa landowners to seek a legally binding explanation of their rights, in the event their property is subject to an eminent domain claim in an application before the Iowa Utilities Commission. Opponents of the bill said in subcommittee it would increase the time and cost for pipeline projects. No one spoke in opposition Tuesday, though Lohse and Rep. Ross Wilburn, D-Ames, voted nay. A spokesperson for Summit Carbon Solutions said the company has signed easements with more than 1,200 Iowa landowners and has adjusted the route in response to stakeholder and regulatory feedback. 'Regulatory certainty is crucial for maintaining Iowa's competitive edge in business, fostering long-term opportunities for farmers, ethanol producers, and rural communities,' the spokesperson said in a statement. The committee also advanced House File 278, which would require social media companies to obtain parental authorization for Iowans under the age of 18 to create a social media account. The bill is intended to protect the health and well-being of minors and to protect them from sex trafficking and predators online, but opponents of the bill worry it could cause issues with personal data collection. The bill passed with an amendment, which Rep. Samantha Fett, R-Carlisle, said adjusted the definition of social media platforms. Rep. Megan Srinivas, D-Des Moines, and Lohse opposed the bill, which advanced 19-2. The House Judiciary Committee also unanimously advanced House File 189, to change the definition of services related to human trafficking to remove the 'ongoing relationship' language from the law. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
