For a second year, a major topic of the Iowa legislative session was on eminent domain and high pressure carbon dioxide (CO2) pipelines.

Representative for House District 23 Ray Sorensen says that this is one of the most challenging issues that the legislature has faced in recent years, because there is a need to balance private property rights, and infrastructure and economic development. He shares his stance on the subject.

“I’ve been very clear that protecting landowners has to be part of any solution. Iowans take property rights seriously and they should. At the same time, we’re also looking at what those projects mean in terms of energy, agriculture and long term economic impact. This session there were multiple proposals and a lot of discussion, but we didn’t get to a final agreement.”

Sorensen mentions that he realizes how frustrating this may be for individuals on both sides of the topic, but that it also reflects just how complex the topic is. He adds that he does believe the conversation moved forward though, with a better understanding of the concerns constituents have, and that this will once again be a major topic next session.