DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa House secured the necessary number of signatures to call for a special session to override Governor Kim Reynolds’ veto of the eminent domain bill.

House Republicans announced on Tuesday that the House of Representatives obtained 70 signatures, surpassing the two-thirds majority required for the House to call for a special session per the Iowa Constitution.

Last week, Gov. Reynolds vetoed House File 639 which aimed to limit the use of eminent domain by private companies for carbon pipelines. The news of the governor’s veto came as a blow to politicians on both sides of the aisle who have worked for several years to pass legislation aimed at protecting property rights, with State Representative Steve Holt telling WHO 13 that the veto would “forever tarnish her [Gov. Reynolds’] legacy.”

Now, House leadership is calling on the Iowa Senate to secure the required number of signatures so they can convene the special session and override the governor’s veto of the legislation.

“This veto was a major setback for Iowa landowners and the tireless efforts of the House to safeguard property rights,” House Speaker Pat Grassley said. “With 70 members of the House standing united, we’ve met the constitutional threshold to move forward. We now call on our colleagues in the Senate to join us by securing the necessary signatures so we can convene a special session, override this veto, and deliver the protections Iowa landowners deserve against eminent domain for private gain.”

The Senate would need to flip seven Republicans to obtain the two-thirds requirement, or 34 signatures, for the special session to occur.

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