Legislators talk pipelines, critical race theory

FAIRFIELD – The proposed carbon-capture pipelines through Iowa were the topic of much discussion during the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s legislative forum Saturday morning, March 19 at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center.

Jefferson County resident Steve Hickenbottom got the ball rolling on the topic during the Q&A portion of the event, asking the two legislators in attendance for their thoughts on legislation to limit eminent domain for carbon pipelines. Hickenbottom said that when the Bakken oil pipeline was installed on his property, he was unhappy about the mess left behind from the large trenches that were dug 30 feet deep and 30 feet wide. Hickenbottom said he did not believe it was right for a private company to take land through eminent domain, which is defined as the right of a government to expropriate private property for public use with compensation.

The two legislators in attendance were Iowa Reps. Jeff Shipley and Joe Mitchell. They are both Republicans, but had a different take on the recent bills to limit eminent domain. Mitchell said one of the bills before the Legislature would have prevented companies from using eminent domain for any kind of pipeline, which he thought was too broad and would have led to increases in energy prices for consumers.

“Mid-American, Alliant and Black Hills all use pipelines,” Mitchell said, listing some of the energy companies in the state.

Mitchell added that eminent domain should be used as little as possible.

Hickenbottom said he didn’t understand that argument, because it didn’t seem to him that gas prices fell after the completion of the Bakken pipeline.

“It looks like we’re only protecting pipeline companies,” he said.

Shipley expressed skepticism at the very nature of carbon-capture pipelines. He noted they are not transporting fuel, but rather carbon dioxide emissions from fertilizer and ethanol plants to be stored underground. He said he’s asked the executives of carbon-capture pipelines about how they will benefit Iowa, and he hasn’t gotten an answer.

Shipley didn’t see how carbon-capture pipelines would lower energy prices, either.

“I don’t see it helping anyone,” he said.

Mitchell said there is a push for electric vehicles because they are believed to be better for the environment. He felt that the carbon-capture pipelines were a way to show that ethanol can be sustainable, too, since emissions from ethanol plants would be stored underground instead of escaping into the atmosphere. He added that since the pipelines would be good for the ethanol industry, it would be good for Iowa.

Later in the meeting, Tom O’Donnell of Keosauqua objected to a remark Shipley made earlier about how the carbon-capture pipelines were being driven by “John Kerry, Joe Biden and the Green New Deal.” O’Donnell said he researched the matter and discovered that the driving force behind investment in carbon-capture pipelines came from federal tax credits that were part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, with support from both parties and signed by President Donald Trump.

O’Donnell said that Shipley made a nearly identical remark about “John Kerry, Joe Biden and the Green New Deal” being behind the carbon pipelines during the January legislative forum, and O’Donnell followed up with Shipley over email to clarify that the tax incentives were signed into law in 2018, before Joe Biden became president in January 2021. At Saturday’s forum, O’Donnell said he was surprised Shipley continued to attribute the pipelines to Joe Biden even after their email communication.

Shipley responded by saying that he read an article in Time Magazine saying that John Kerry was the principal architect of this program.

Critical race theory

Another topic that was lively debated during the forum was the notion of “critical race theory.” In 2021, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill that bans the teaching of critical race theory in schools.

Kelly Scott, a member of the Fairfield Community School Board and a teacher in the Ottumwa school district, said that both Shipley and Mitchell have come out against critical race theory.

“Can you define it? Can you define what you’re against?” Scott asked.

Shipley said the ban on CRT references 10 specific topics that are not to be caught. These include concepts such as “That one race or sex is superior to another” and “That the U.S. and Iowa are fundamentally racist or sexist” and “That someone, by virtue of their race or sex, is inherently racist or sexist.”

Shipley said some school districts are using books by an author named Ibram X. Kendi, who Shipley believes to be racist.

“You are using an 8th grade social studies class textbook that says whites are inherently racist,” Shipley told Scott. “Do you feel racist?”

Scott said that just because a teacher uses a book or references a book does not mean they endorse the book. He said sometimes these resources are used as a “provocative counterpoint” to further classroom discussion. Shipley said he would advise the Fairfield school district to avoid using these texts.

Mitchell said that the education profession is getting a bad rap because of the actions of a select few teachers. When he visits classrooms in his district, he hears that teachers do not feel appreciated. He mentioned a bill that some of his fellow Iowa Republicans proposed to require cameras be installed in every K-12 classroom in schools across the state so that parents could watch the class live. He said the proposal made teachers feel unappreciated.

“Ninety-nine percent of teachers need to be thanked,” he said.

Scott invited the two legislators to visit his classroom in Ottumwa.

“I don’t teach CRT, and none of my colleagues do,” he said. “I have nothing to hide.”

Other issues

Some of the other matters discussed during Saturday’s forum included proposed changes to the state’s bottle bill that would expand the 5-cent deposit to most single-use beverage containers, and increasing the reimbursement to redemption centers from 1 cent to 3 cents.

Resident Margaret Dwyer asked the legislators for their thoughts on the bottle bill. Shipley said his preferred solution was to index the redemption amount to inflation. Since the nickel redemption dates from 1979, he said that perhaps the cans and bottles should be turned in for a dime or even a quarter. Mitchell said the bottle bill would allow more redemption centers to open across the state.

Resident David Ballou asked a question on behalf of JFAN Executive Director Diane Rosenberg about whether the legislators would support a moratorium on confined animal feeding operations. Shipley said he lives about a quarter mile from such an operation, but did not feel a moratorium on them was the right solution.

Ballou said a major downside from CAFOs is the pollution they create. Shipley said perhaps the laws needed to be updated to require planting a tree buffer around the CAFO or increasing offsets from waterways.

Mitchell said he was not in favor of a moratorium on CAFOs since it would infringe on property rights. Ballou said the problem with CAFOs is that their pollution seeps onto other properties.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com