Hunter
06/12/25
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds vetoed a bill aimed at curbing eminent domain use by carbon capture pipelines and other infrastructure projects, saying the legislation is written too broadly and could damage economic development in Iowa.
The Des Moines Register reports the veto, one of only a handful this year, deals a blow to the dozens of Republican lawmakers who supported the bill and to landowners who have shown up at the Iowa Capitol for years to call for greater restrictions on eminent domain.
House Speaker Pat Grassley says he’s asking legislators to sign a petition to reconvene for a special session to override the governor’s veto. The vote would have to be at least two-thirds to override.
The veto is seen as a win for Summit Carbon Solutions, which wants to build a carbon capture pipeline over several states including Iowa. The pipeline would connect 57 ethanol plants and bury the carbon dioxide generated from the plants deep in the ground.
Summit’s co-founder, Bruce Rastetter, has made donations and in-kind campaign contributions to Governor Reynolds totaling $175,000 since 2015.
House Ways and Means Committee chairman Bobby Kaufmann said Reynolds’ veto was unforgivable and he will, quote, “work to kill every single piece of legislation that she initiates.”