Dear Friends,
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Before I explain why Iowa Democrats should be jumping for joy at the gift horse Republicans just handed them, let’s take a quick stroll down memory lane:
Cyndy Coppola and Ed Fallon next to sections of Dakota Access pipeline on Cyndy’s property. Incredibly, because of eminent domain, the two were arrested for trespassing on Cyndy’s own land!
Not long ago, red-state Iowa was, for a short time, bright blue. From 2007-2010, Democrats controlled the trifecta — Governor’s office, Senate, and House.
Why, after so many years of Republican or split-control of the statehouse, did Democrats take over? There were several factors, but a key reason was that rural voters blamed Republicans for the corporate takeover of hog production.
(Note: In 1945, there were 169,776 farms in Iowa raising hogs. That number declined to 17,243 by 1997. Today, only 5,400 hog producers remain. Note further that the US’s largest pork processing corporation, Smithfield, is owned by the Chinese.)
For ten years (1997-2006), Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) had been damaging farm communities in so many ways. Rural voters wanted action. After years of being ignored by Republicans, Democrats promised to deliver. House Democrats won a healthy majority in 2006, representing all or portions of two dozen rural counties.
Voters gave Democrats four years to take action against corporate CAFOs. They failed gloriously, then lost the House and Governor’s office in 2010 and the Iowa Senate in 2016. The way things stand now, Democrats will remain the minority party until just shy of forever.
But wait! Republicans just handed Democrats a winning issue: EMINENT DOMAIN! With nearly 2,000 miles of Iowa farmland in the crosshairs of three CO2 pipelines, most rural Iowans are concerned that their land could be taken by force.
The Poobahs of the Iowa Republican Party — Reynolds, Branstad, Grassley, Ernst, Rastetter — are all on board with CO2 pipelines.
What about rank-and-file Republican lawmakers? Hard to say, but it doesn’t look like legislative leaders have the guts to buck the Poobahs. Rep. Bobby Kaufmann had requested a bill to require 70% of landowners along the route to sign up voluntarily before eminent domain could be used. Then out of the blue, Kaufmann tabled the bill, leaving the door wide open for Democrats to waltz in, own the issue, and maybe enjoy some electoral success in November.
But Democrats’ commitment to eminent domain reform has to be more than cosmetic. They’ve gotta:
— Introduce strong legislation that says “no” to eminent domain for a private purpose;
— Get a vote on that legislation so Iowans know where Republicans stand;
— Travel to rural communities threatened by these pipelines and hear people’s concerns;
— Make reforming eminent domain law a central part of the Party platform;
— Stand up to powerhouses within the Democratic Party who support condemnation for CO2 pipelines;
— Deliver! If Democrats regain the majority, they better not blow it, or their majority will be short lived.
This should be a no-brainer for even the most calculating politician. Iowans overwhelmingly oppose using eminent domain to build pipelines, as was made clear in a 2015 Des Moines Register poll about DAPL — 74% were opposed to using eminent domain!
(Hold the presses! As I’m preparing to send out this column, I get a call from State Senator Jeff Taylor, who has authored a bill to address eminent domain. It’s SF2160, and it would make significant and favorable changes to eminent domain law. I’ll keep you posted.)
In the meantime, let’s see if Democrats take my advice on this. What do they have to lose?
— Ed Fallon
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CHECK OUT THIS WEEK’S FALLON FORUM:
(02:35) Backing the Bottle Bill, with Dennis Harbaugh;
(14:13) With CO2 pipelines, Republicans just gifted Democrats a huge opportunity, with Maureen McCue and George Cummins;
(55:08) Do Bees Hibernate?, with Ellen Bell and Kathy Byrnes.
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Ed Fallon