Iowa House leaders gather signatures to overturn Kim Reynolds’ veto that blasted rights of property owners

DES MOINES – Kim Reynolds’ veto of a bill that protected the rights of Iowa property owners in favor of profit-at-all costs companies that build intrusive, toxic-substance-carrying pipelines is in trouble, as the Iowa House has gathered enough signatures to come back to Des Moines and overturn her, and the Senate could be next.

June 17, 2025, the Iowa House of Representatives, led by House Speaker Pat Grassley (R-New Hartford, grand boy of Senator Charles Grassley), have successfully secured 70 signatures on a petition to convene a special legislative session to override Governor Kim Reynolds’ veto of House File 639. This bill, aimed at restricting the use of eminent domain for carbon pipeline projects, represents years of dedicated work to protect Iowa landowners’ rights. The 70 signatures surpass the two-thirds requirement in the Iowa Constitution for the House to call for a special session.

“This veto (by Governor Kim Reynolds) was a major setback for Iowa landowners and the tireless efforts of the House to safeguard property rights,” said House Speaker Pat Grassley. “With 70 members of the House standing united, we’ve met the constitutional threshold to move forward. We now call on our colleagues in the Senate to join us by securing the necessary signatures so we can convene a special session, override this veto, and deliver the protections Iowa landowners deserve against eminent domain for private gain.”

House File 639, passed by both chambers in the 2025 legislative session, sought to limit the ability of private companies to seize private land for carbon capture pipelines. The bill’s veto has sparked significant disappointment among House Representatives, who have worked for four years to address landowner concerns.

The Iowa House remains committed to defending property rights and urges the Senate to act swiftly to meet the two-thirds signature requirement. A successful petition in both chambers will allow the legislature to reconvene and vote to override the governor’s veto, ensuring House File 639 becomes law.

About House File 639: House File 639 aimed to protect Iowa landowners by restricting the use of eminent domain for carbon pipeline projects, requiring greater accountability and insurance for hazardous liquid pipelines, and ensuring projects serve the public interest.

WHEREAS, Article 3, Section 2 of the Iowa Constitution authorizes the General Assembly to convene a special session upon the petition of two-thirds of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate; and

WHEREAS, House File 639, passed by the Iowa House and Senate in the 2025 legislative session, aimed to protect Iowa landowners by adjusting the definition of a common carrier, expanding intervenor rights in Iowa Utilities Commission proceedings, limiting carbon dioxide pipeline permits to a single 25-year term, requiring pipeline operators to cover insurance increases for landowners, and imposing other safeguards against the misuse of eminent domain for carbon sequestration pipelines; and

WHEREAS, on June 11, 2025, Governor Kim Reynolds vetoed House File 639, denying Iowa landowners critical protections against the use of eminent domain by private pipeline companies and undermining years of legislative efforts to prioritize property rights; and

WHEREAS, the veto of House File 639 represents a significant setback for Iowa’s landowners, farmers, and communities who have fought for fair treatment and transparency in the face of carbon capture pipeline projects; and

WHEREAS, Article 3, Section 16 of the Iowa Constitution empowers the General Assembly to override a gubernatorial veto by a two-thirds vote of the members of each house, ensuring the will of the people’s elected representatives prevails; and

WHEREAS, the urgent need to restore the protections of House File 639 demands immediate action through a special session of the General Assembly to consider and enact a veto override;

NOW, THEREFORE, we, the undersigned members of the Iowa House of Representatives, constituting at least two-thirds of the House membership as required by Article 3, Section 2 of the Iowa Constitution, hereby petition for the Iowa General Assembly to convene a special session for the sole purpose of conducting a veto override Governor Kim Reynolds’ veto of House File 639.

BE IT RESOLVED, that this special session shall be limited to the consideration and vote on the veto override of House File 639, ensuring that that General Assembly acts swiftly to uphold the rights of Iowa landowners and reaffirm the legislative intent of this critical bill.

Signed,
Pat Grassley, HD57, House Speaker
Matt Windschitl, HD15, House Majority Leader

J.D. Scholten, HD1
Bob Henderson, HD2
Thomas Jeneary, HD3
Skyler Wheeler, HD4
Zach Dieken, HD5
Megan Jones, HD6
Michael Sexton, HD7
Ann Meyer, HD8
Henry Stone, HD9
John Wills, HD10
Craig Williams, HD11
Steven Holt, HD12
Travis Sitzmann, HD13
Jacob Bossman, HD14
Devon Wood, HD17
Tom Moore, HD18
Josh Turek, HD20
Brooke Boden, HD21
Samantha Fett, HD22
Ray Sorensen, HD23
Sam Wengryn, HD24
Hans Wilz, HD25
Austin Harris, HD26
David Young, HD28
Megan Srinivas, HD30
Sean Bagniewski, HD35
Austin Baeth, HD36
Jon Dunwell, HD38
Ryan Weldon, HD41
Eddie Andrews, HD43
Larry McBurney, HD44
Dan Gehlbach, HD46
Carter Nordman, HD47
Chad Behn, HD48
Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, HD49
Ross Wilburn, HD50
David Blom, HD52
Dean Fisher, HD53
Josh Meggers, HD54
Shannon Latham, HD55
Mark Thompson, HD56
Charley Thomson, HD58
Christian Hermanson, HD59
Jane Bloomingdale, HD60
Timi Brown-Powers, HD61
Jason Gearhart, HD64
Shannon Lundgren, HD65
Steven Bradley, HD66
Craig Johnson, HD67
Tom Determann, HD69
Jennifer Smith, HD72
Elizabeth Wilson, HD73
Eric Gjerde, HD74
Derek Wulf, HD76
Aime Wichtendahl, HD80
Bobby Kaufmann, HD82
Cindy Golding, HD83
Tom Gerhold, HD84
Jeff Shipley, HD87
Helena Hayes, HD88
Elinor Levin, HD89
Judd Lawler, HD91
Heather Hora, HD92
Gary Mohr, HD93
Mike Vondran, HD94
Taylor Collins, HD95
Mark Cisneros, HD96
Blaine Watkins, HD100