Last I left off with you, HF 639, a good property rights protection bill that came over from the House, was amended by the Senate Commerce Committee Chair Sen. Bousselot to take out from the bill protection from the use of eminent domain by a company with a project that is not a public use. It removed the requirement for proof of a public use and the requirement for the company to be a common carrier in order to exercise the power of eminent domain. Those were the protections that were needed and they were taken out!
For more detail on this amendment and its issues, please see my April 5th newsletter: https://irp.cdn-website.com/c2e95eab/files/uploaded/My_Newsletter_4-5-2025.pdf
Then Sen. Alons put an amendment onto Sen. Bousselot’s amendment to return the bill back to the way it originally was. After that Senate leadership did not want to bring the bill to the floor. We are looking at several other strategies to get a bill to the Senate floor before the legislative session ends, about 2 or 3 weeks away.
Meanwhile in South Dakota…..South Dakota courts had given Summit another opportunity to come up with a plan as to how they could build a pipeline through the state. So last Tuesday, that hearing was held before the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (PUC). They denied Summit’s application to construct a CO2 pipeline through South Dakota. Even when the PUC asked, Summit could make no argument as to how they might restart in South Dakota.
According to the order our Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC) issued in June of 2024, there has to be agency approval in South Dakota and North Dakota in order for Summit to have approval to build the pipeline in Iowa. This means that one of the conditions on which our IUC approved a permit to Summit to use eminent domain cannot be met.
From the IUC 500-page Final Order-Summit Pipeline, June 25, 2024-“…the Board will condition the construction of certain segments based upon certain conditions occurring. Summit Carbon will not be allowed to begin construction in Iowa unless and until the North Dakota and South Dakota PUC’s have approved a route….”
As a South Dakota PUC commissioner told Summit’s lawyer (paraphrased): “You don’t have a SD easement that gives you a way into SD, you don’t have a path through SD, and you don’t have an easement to get to the ND border”. Translated: you don’t have a plan.
Iowa is an agricultural state and our constitutional rights to private property must absolutely be protected if we expect our farmers and landowners to invest in their property. This right is listed in our Bill of Rights. It is key not only to liberty but also to prosperity. That is why the Founders put it in there.
We are so used to have our property rights protected as Americans we don’t know what it’s like when we don’t have them protected. It’s taken quite awhile for us to wake up to this critical danger. We have over 800 farmers and landowners now threatened with a serious erosion of these fundamental rights. This is unprecedented in Iowa history! We have not seen the likes of this before in our state. We are at a true watershed moment where we need to stand up and fight for these rights or risk losing them.
Passed the Senate
The following bills have passed the Senate this past week:
Adoptive Parent Employees-HF 248: Employers would be required to treat adoptive parents of a 0-6 year-old child and biological parents of a newborn the same in terms of policies, benefits, and protections for the first year of the adoption.
Health Insurance Coverage for Autism-HF 330: Mandates health insurance coverage of treatment for autism spectrum disorder. Prohibits a health insurance plan or policy to establish an aggregate annual or lifetime limit on coverage benefits for autism. Also prohibits a limitation on the number of outpatient visits for applied behavior analysis or for the treatment of autism. Eliminates the maximum age of 19 for mandated coverage of applied behavioral analysis benefits.
Right to Try Upgrade-SF 233: Expands Iowa’s “Right to Try” Act to include “individualized investigational treatment”. Also allows a patient that has a life-threatening or severely debilitating illness, as confirmed by a doctor, to participate in the program. Patient must have exhausted all other U.S. FDA-approved treatment options. This allows Iowans diagnosed with a rare disease that has a limited positive outcome the option to seek specialized treatment not covered by the FDA or not in a clinical trial. Eliminates any burdens or regulatory barriers by the federal government.
National Guard Credentials Scholarship Program-HF 117: Allows the National Guard to use its tuition assistance funding given to national guard members for bachelors or associates degrees to be also used for credentialing programs. The National Guard is finding more and more prospective guard members seeking a certificate credential instead of a degree. Not all want to get a 4-year degree. The workforce is changing and wants options in post-secondary education such as STEM fields or a career in the advanced trades.
Foster Parent Custodial Rights-HF 644: Allows foster parents to provide emergency and routine medical care and participate in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for a foster child in their care. When the biological parent is not present or unable to be reached the foster parent does not need to be delayed in order to provide timely and critical care for their foster children. Notice must be provided to the biological parent.
College Affordability Act-HF 440: Requires the Board of Regents to make a final decision on tuition increases for the next fiscal year by April 30th of the previous fiscal year. Requires the Regents universities to offer at least one bachelor’s degree program that can be completed in 3 years starting in the 27-28 academic year. Directs the board to conduct a study on a policy of freezing student tuition for a student’s last 3 years at the level it was when the student entered as a freshman.
Human Trafficking-HF 649: Changes definitions to afford better protections for victims and better facilitate the arrest and prosecution of predators.
Firefighter Law Loophole-HF 793: Prohibits anyone placed on the Sex Offender Registry as an adult from being certified as a firefighter.
Judicial Branch-HF 956: Moves maximum retirement age for judges from 72 to 78. Allows a judge to reside in a county contiguous to the judge’s current judicial district to which they are appointed, as well as residing within the district during their term in office.
Governor’s Child Care Bill-SF-445: This bill allows a community child care provider to qualify as a statewide preschool program if it meets the requirements outlined by the Dept. of Ed. for school districts that offer this program. Also allows for competitive grant funding for transportation to and from the statewide preschool program (usually at a school) and a child care provider (usually in the community).
Pediatric Palliative Care-HF 933: Allows pediatric palliative care centers (PPCC) to be set up as a licensed hospice program. This is for those under 21 years of age and diagnosed with a chronic, complex, life-threatening illness. A PPCC would provide hospice services and respite care services. It would also use an LPN and may provide accommodation and board for family members.
Budget-Federal Block Grant Appropriation-SF 626: Appropriates $574 million from the federal government for block grant funding for communities.
Budget-Transportation Appropriations-SF 628: Appropriates $502 million from the Road Use Tax Fund and Primary Road Fund to the Dept. of Transportation. Funds maintenance of roadways and repair and replacement of equipment and facilities. This year is the Waterloo Garage’s turn for renovation, as it is too small and deteriorating from age.
Passed Committee
Major Events and Tourism-SF 621: Creates an Iowa Major Events and Tourism Program and Fund. Money from a couple other funds are appropriated into this new fund. The bill provides for 50% matching financial assistance for these dollars from cities to organizations to bid against other states for tourism-type events, such as athletic events, conventions, concerts, art festivals, etc. Many states are competing to host significant, economic driving events connected to athletics, music, and other entertainment events in their states. Iowa has great facilities and partners to drive this type of tourism to our state.
Bills Still Need to Be Passed!
Only one more vote needed for these policy bills! They just need to be called up by the Majority Leader and brought to the Senate/House floor! Tell your legislator to talk to the Majority Leader! And contact him yourself! Not much time left in the session.
In the Senate
Property Rights Protection from Eminent Domain Abuse–HF 639
Age Verification for Porn Websites–SF 443
Conscience Protections for Health Care Providers–SF 220
Pharmacy Benefit Managers Reform–SF 383
Requirement for Schools to Inform Parents about Exemptions from Vaccinations–SF 6
Investigations of Child Abuse at School Moved to HHS–SF 517
In the House
Conscience Protections for Adoptive & Foster Parents–SF 437
Right to Refuse Experimental EUA Medical Products–SF 180
Requires Parental Consent for STD Vaccines for Minors–HF 384
