Dear Friends,
CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK’S PODCAST, featuring a dialogue with Rep. Chuck Isenhart (D-Dubuque). Chuck and I discuss the Green Amendment and CO2 pipelines.
Regarding those pipelines … beyond concerns about eminent domain, public health, and climate “greenwashing,” let’s talk about the political impact on this fall’s general election.
And yeah, there WILL be impact. CO2 pipelines are quickly emerging as a top issue in legislative races across Iowa. The fact that over two dozen county Boards of Supervisors have filed objections is one indicator of the depth of local opposition.
Here’s my take on the pitfalls — and possible benefits — affecting legislative candidates of both major parties. It’s quite a roller coaster ride, so hang on to your latte:
REPUBLICANS
YAY! January 12: Rep. Bobby Kaufmann (R-Wilton) announces he’s drafting eminent domain legislation.
BOO! January 20: Kaufmann tables his proposal.
YAY! February 2: Sen. Jeff Taylor (R-Sioux Center) introduces a bill to ban the use of eminent domain for private projects.
BOO! February 19: Sen. Jason Schultz (R-Schleswig), chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, deep-sixes Taylor’s bill with no explanation.
YAY! March 17: Kaufmann offers an amendment in the State Government Committee placing a one-year moratorium on eminent domain for CO2 pipelines. The amendment, H-8213 to SF 2022, passes with all but two Republicans supporting it. Astoundingly, all nine Democrats on the committee vote “no.” (More on that below.)
THE BIG QUESTION: Are Republican lawmakers serious about protecting rural landowners’ property rights, or are they simply posturing in advance of the 2022 general election? We’ll have a better idea soon, because if Republicans are serious, they’ve got big enough majorities in both chambers to pass SF 2022.
DEMOCRATS
YAY! After initial efforts by Kaufmann and Taylor fail, the door is wide open for Democrats to swoop in and show rural voters they care. Seems like a no-brainer, but …
BOO! Instead, House Minority leader, Jennifer Konfrst (D-Windsor Heights) goes all wishy-washy on the issue, Senate Majority leader Zach Wahls refuses to respond, and the Democratic State Central Committee votes against even considering a CO2 pipeline resolution. See my March 3 blog, If Iowa Democrats Lose in November, Blame This for details.
MORE BOO! As I mention above, all nine Democrats on the House State Government Committee voted against Kaufmann’s eminent domain proposal. I reached out to the Committee’s ranking member, Rep. Mary Mascher (D-Iowa City), who said, “It was more about the process than the bill. The public has a right to know what is being debated. They can’t do that if there is no opportunity for input.”
YAY? With the procedural maneuver Democrats objected to now a moot point, is it safe to infer that Democrats might support the bill once it comes to the floor of the House? I’ll cautiously venture a “yes.” Again, we’ll know soon, as the legislative session wraps up by mid-April.
WHAT ELSE? Presuming SF 2022 passes, Republican legislators and candidates on the ballot this fall could see a meaningful bounce in their prospects. Of course, if Democrats also support the bill — and make a lot of noise about it — that Republican bounce could be neutralized. Democratic support for the bill could even play to the advantage of a handful of Democratic candidates running in rural swing districts.
GOVERNOR REYNOLDS? With key Republican Poobahs (including Terry Branstad and Bruce Rastetter) aggressively pushing CO2 pipelines, it’s not hard to imagine a Reynolds’ veto. But the Governor might want to consider what happened to then-Governor Vilsack in 2006, when he vetoed eminent domain legislation only to have House and Senate members of both parties overwhelmingly override that veto. (FYI, that memorable vote was the very last one I cast as a lawmaker.)
ONE MORE THING. A March 21 criticism of Kaufmann’s amendment from Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) is just silly and naive. In a mailing, CCI calls Kaufmann’s bill “shenanigans,” saying “this proposal isn’t about protecting our land or landowners, it’s kicking the can down the road past this November’s election.”
Really? Would CCI prefer no legislation pass this session? From a completely cynical point of view, I suppose some Democrats and Democratic constituencies WANT Republicans to fail so they can use it against them this fall. That’s the worst side of politics, and what voters across the political spectrum are fed up with.
WHAT CAN YOU DO? Where ever you live in Iowa, call/write/visit your state representative and senator while they’re home this weekend. Tell them to support SF 2022 and protect landowners across the state from having their land condemned and taken by a private corporation. If you do, let me know what kind of response you get. Thanks!
Ed
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THIS WEEK’S FALLON FORUM: A Conversation With State Rep. Chuck Isenhart (D-Dubuque)
01:42 – What’s the Green Amendment?
18:30 – House Democrats vote against eminent domain legislation
55:53 – Spring has sprung, with Kathy Byrnes.
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Ed Fallon