12 Iowa senators withholding budget vote until eminent domain reform debated
If the defiant dozen keep their promise, Republicans may not have enough support to pass a budget
DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa Capitol Bureau) - Friday is the final scheduled day of the 2025 legislative session. Lawmakers won’t be heading home for the year anytime soon, though. Currently, the Governor and House Republicans don’t agree on a budget. Now, some state senators could complicate plans to adjourn.
For years, the Republican-led Iowa House has passed eminent domain reforms, but Republican Senate leaders have never brought the bills up for a debate. State Sen. Dave Rowley (R-Spirit Lake) says he and some of his colleagues are fed up and adamant a vote happens this year.
“The 12 of us all met, worked together, and decided that we’re at a point right now to be effective, to speak for the landowners who are involved in this situation, we have to take a measure to make sure that we give every opportunity for all of us to get on the floor and have that debate,” he said.
Rowley and 11 of his Republican colleagues have signed a pledge stating that they won’t vote on any budget bills until an eminent domain bill is brought up on the floor for a vote.
“We’re holding out for passage on this bill. I want to be very clear on that,” he said.
Lawmakers have to pass a budget before they can go home for the year. Republicans have 34 of the 50 seats in the senate. If the defiant dozen keep their word and hold off on voting for a budget, Republicans may not have enough votes to pass one. And the budget is already holding up debate on a host of other issues.
“I think the decision came from the fact that we weren’t able in the past to get this bill forward and it always stalled out whether it was in Commerce or whatever committee we tried, Ways. And it has been worked on. We’ve had different options and well-meaning options that have come up. But it came to the point where we need a bill that will satisfy the issue,” he said.
These legislators are trying to stop a proposed carbon sequestration pipeline. State regulators gave the company permission to use eminent domain to build it. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds says she understands both sides’ positions, but she isn’t going to step in to resolve the senate stalemate.
“You continue to see people coming down to this capitol weekly, daily, to apply their input into how they think that should be addressed and that is how the process is supposed to work and it will sort itself out so I’m not going to get in the middle of it,” she said.
Rowley says that the group is firm in their positions and won’t be swayed to change their mind. He says senate leaders are working with them, but declined to say how.
We reached out to Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver about the holdouts. In an email, he says senators are working on the issue and he’s optimistic they will find a legislative solution.
Read the letter:
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Conner Hendricks covers state government and politics for Gray Media-owned stations in Iowa. Email him at conner.hendricks@gray.tv; and follow him on Facebook at Conner Hendricks TV on X/Twitter @ConnerReports, and on TikTok @ConnerReports.
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