Hancock County GOP Central Committee oppose Governor’s Veto of CO2 Bill

After an unprecedented effort from 12 Iowa Republican senators to get a bill (HF639) to the floor for a vote our hopes of passage were dashed by Gov. Reynolds’ veto. This bill protected property owners and their rights from the use of eminent domain for construction of a privately owned C02 pipeline with no public benefit. We as Hancock County Republicans are firmly voicing our opposition to her veto. We strongly believe she was not acting in the best interests of Iowa property owners and are grieved by the potential consequences of her actions.

This dangerous pipeline directly impacts our county from east to west across the entire county, along with spurs going north and south on our counties west side. This could directly impact many of our citizens’ health and livelihood. In the event of an in-county rupture, it could threaten residents of Garner, Britt and Corwith along with our rural residents and is path.

CO2 is an asphyxiant, sucking oxygen out of the air causing suffocation. It’s the only class IV hazardous material moving through a pipeline. A similar CO2 pipeline in Louisiana has ruptured multiple times and is 15-year existence with one rupture sending multiple people to the hospital with life threatening respiratory problems. These ruptures are due to see CO2’s corrosive nature and the required pressure (2200 psi) to get and to move through the pipe. We are directly opposed to the governor’s decision to allow this pipeline to be forced through our county residents’ farms against their well using eminent domain.

She has signed some important legislation into law such as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, No Cellphone Use in Classrooms, Replenishing the Grain Indemnity Fund, Protecting Local Pharmacies from an adverse competition, and banning Rank Choice voting further insuring fair and honest elections. We appreciate and agree with her on these bills. However, we are breaking rank with her and her party loyalists on her HF639 veto. We declare her action by this veto, a violation of our constitutional rights as property owners as stated in the 5thAmendment of our Constitution, a failure to support our Republican State Party platform and abandoning Republican principles we hold near and dear regarding property rights.

We cannot and will not ever support her position on this bill (HF639). We ask you as citizens of our county as well as other Iowa counties, to urge other Iowa Senators opposing this bill to reconsider their decision by voting to overturn her veto! We commend our local state legislators for their support and votes, in direct opposition to her position. We stand probably by your side for your actions.

Respectfully protecting our constitutional rights,

The Hancock County Republican Central Committee

Bud Jermeland, chairman