Dear Friends –
I spoke with State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann today on my talk show and he announced big news on the Eminent Domain Bill:
Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 28th at 12:00 noon in Room 22 of the Iowa State Capitol, a joint House-Senate sub-committee will meet to debate and possibly vote on SSB 1276!
There are three things you can do:
1. COME!! Sub-committee meetings provide one of the few opportunities for average Iowans to speak on and influence legislation directly. I will be there and would love to have a slew of pipeline fighters join me.
2. Share this message and the Facebook Event invite with as many people as possible.
3. Write or call sub-committee members. If you write, carbon copy your own Representative and Senator. To figure out who your Representative and Senator are, and get contact information for them, click Find Your Legislator.
Sub-committee members are:
– Senator Rob Hogg – rob.hogg@legis.iowa.gov or (515) 281-3371
– Senator Julian Garrett – julian.garrett@legis.iowa.gov or (515) 281-3371
– Senator Brian Schoenjahn – brian.schoenjahn@legis.iowa.gov or (515) 281-3371
– Representative Bobby Kaufmann – bobby.kaufmann@legis.iowa.gov or (515) 281-3221
– Representative Greg Heartsill – greg.heartsill@legis.iowa.gov or (515) 281-3221
– Representative Mary Wolfe – mary.wolfe@legis.iowa.gov or (515) 281-3221
My take is this: The bill needs to be simple and straightforward. All we are saying is that a private, for-profit business that does not provide a public service to Iowans should not be granted the power of eminent domain. My concern is that there is pressure from Big Oil’s friends at the Statehouse to craft a compromise that will weaken this core position.
The bottom line is this: We want the strongest possible bill to come out of sub-committee, as it becomes more difficult to strengthen it later.
Thank you! This is a pivotal moment, and I hope you can take a little time today and tomorrow morning to do what you can. And if at all possible, come to the State Capitol tomorrow at 12:00 noon!
Ed Fallon