LEGISLATURE OVERRIDES GOVERNOR’S VETO

By: Norman Pawlewski

Both Houses of Iowa’s 81^st General Assembly voted to override the governor’s veto of the Eminent Domain Restrictions Bill.  It was not even close. 

The House picked up two more yes votes than were cast during the regular session.  With very little debate, 90 representatives voted to override; 8 voted no and 2 representatives were absent.  The galleries on both front and back of the House Chamber were overflowing with supporters of the bill.  Present, also, were a few lobbyists representing municipalities, developers and others who believe the bill offers too much protection for individual private property owners. 

The same was true for the Senate.  Both galleries were full of supporters of the veto override.  Forty-one senators voted to override; 8 were against and 1 absent.  There was little debate.  Senator Mike Gronstal cautioned the legislators and the Iowans in the audience that passing this bill does not ensure protection in the near term because the veto process will be challenged in court either by the governor or some other interested party.  If this does happen, it will be another opportunity for judgislators to thwart the will of the people.  Let’s pray that doesn’t happen.  Senator Gronstal did vote to override the veto even though he claimed the override effort was strictly a political ploy by the Republicans.  All the senators who voted against the override are in safe Democrat districts or not up for re-election this November.

ICA thanks all of you who responded to our last e-mail alert and contacted your legislators in both House and Senate.  Like the vote on the touch play issue, your contacts proved pivotal in convincing legislators to do the right thing:  protect Iowans’ right to owning private property without fear of having it confiscated by their government. 

Those of you who are still trying to decide who should be our next governor, take note.  The Culver-Judge team supported the governor’s veto.  The Nussle-VanderPlatts team supported the Eminent Domain Protection Act and the veto override.