The Greene County Historical Society is bringing back a program this Saturday that they haven’t had since January.

Historical Society member Margaret Hamilton says the Coffee and Conversation program takes place at 10am on Saturday at the Greene County Museum in Jefferson about a controversial bill that was passed by the Iowa Legislature this past session on eminent domain. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio the guest speaker will be Greene County Attorney Thomas Laehn, who is also responsible for some of the language that was in the bill.

Hamilton explains that the bill caused a stir in the legislature after it passed the Iowa House, almost unanimously, but then some of the Republican majority Senate had splintered because of some of the parts that were included in the legislation. She states that Governor Kim Reynolds then vetoed the bill after the session was over. 

“It’s not particularly controversial among Democrats, but among Republicans it’s very controversial. And there are people who are running for (public) office (in the state legislature) or thinking of running for office in the next election cycle who are running completely because they are against the governor’s position on eminent domain.”   

Saturday’s program is free and open to the public, with no registration required.