Iowa House Petitions for Special Session to Override Veto on Eminent Domain Bill

Stay informed, stay empowered: invest in the journalism that invests in you. DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa House of Representatives announced Tuesday it has secured the 70 signatures required to call a special legislative session aimed at overriding Governor Kim Reynolds' recent veto of House File 639—a bill that would restrict the use of eminent domain for carbon pipeline projects. Passed during the 2025 legislative session, HF 639 sought to limit private companies' ability to seize land for carbon capture pipelines, introduce new landowner protections, and impose tighter oversight on hazardous liquid pipeline permitting. The bill was supported by a bipartisan group of lawmakers citing long-standing concerns from rural landowners about property rights. Governor Reynolds vetoed the bill on June 11, prompting the override effort. House Speaker Pat Grassley confirmed that the House had surpassed the two-thirds threshold needed to reconvene. The Senate must now collect a similar number of signatures to proceed. In a statement following the veto, Summit Carbon Solutions, the company largely impacted by the bill, expressed appreciation for the governor's decision. "We thank the Governor and her staff for their thoughtful and thorough review of the bill," the company said. "Summit remains committed to working with landowners through voluntary agreements—just as we have with more than 1,300 Iowa landowners to date, resulting in $175 million in payments." Summit emphasized the project's potential benefits, adding that it "opens the door to new markets and helps strengthen America's energy dominance for the long term." The potential special session would be limited to consideration of the HF 639 veto override. The bill's future now depends on whether the Iowa Senate can gather the necessary support to join the House in convening the session. Stay ahead of the curve! Subscribe to free newsletters for exclusive insights, local trends and analysis delivered straight to your inbox.