FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1:30 p.m. Monday,  May 18, 2015 — Governor’s Office, Des Moines, Iowa

For more information, contact:
Ed Fallon at (515) 238-6404 or
David Goodner at (515) 446-0134

Fallon Sits-in at Governor’s Office to Stop Bakken Pipeline

Former lawmaker will stay at the Governor’s office until
Governor meets with him, agrees to support eminent domain bill

Today at 1:30 p.m. CDT, former Iowa lawmaker Ed Fallon entered Governor Branstad’s office at the Iowa State Capitol and asked to speak with the Governor regarding the eminent domain legislation that would help landowners along the path of the Bakken Oil Pipeline. Fallon informed the Governor’s staff that he would refuse to leave the office until Governor Branstad met with him in person or on the phone and agreed to help pass the bill.

“Historically, the Governor and I have supported strengthening Iowa’s eminent domain law to protect private property from private, for-profit development,” said Fallon as he sat waiting to speak with Branstad in the Governor’s office. “We also have both been critical of Big Oil, who the Governor has rightfully criticized for trying to weaken Iowa’s pioneering efforts in ethanol and biodiesel.”

Last month, Fallon completed a 400-mile walk across Iowa, following the path of the proposed pipeline and meeting with landowners. Every day of the 40-day walk, he blogged about the experience and shared stories of the people he met along the way.

“The Governor needs to hear the stories of some of the hundreds of Iowa landowners who are adamantly opposed to having their land taken for this pipeline,” continued Fallon. “I believe that when their voices have a chance to touch his heart, he will agree to help move the eminent domain bill forward in the final days of this year’s legislative session.”

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