Clarity Needed On Pipelines & I Pray We Get It Right
On Jan. 8, I attended a private property rights rally in Pierre, S.D. Despite a snow storm, the Capitol was packed with concerned citizens, landowners, farmers, ranchers, business owners, and families who are worried about their futures here in this beautiful state of South Dakota that we love.
At that rally, we asked our legislators for three very clear things.
First, we asked them to remember their oath to preserve the Constitution and protect our God-given rights, including the right to acquire and protect private property.
Second, we asked them to eliminate the use of eminent domain for private gain. In the case of a carbon sequestration pipeline, we have seen the abuse of condemnation of private property of landowners who simply want the option to say, “No, thank you; we don’t want to get into the carbon capture business on our land.”
And third, we asked the legislators to maintain local governance, to ensure that decisions on projects of this ilk can be made as close to home as possible, with townships and counties making critical decisions on the needs of the community.
As we watch the South Dakota legislative session unfold, it’s been interesting to see how the legislators have listened to and responded to those three simple requests.
It’s been a mixed bag of leaders who are willing to trample on the Constitution and your private property rights in order to advance their ambitions and agendas.
It’s been a flashlight peaking into the corners of the halls of the Capitol building, where lobbyists wheel and deal; power structures are in full play; and political strong-arming is the norm.
Yet, it’s also been a session to witness good people continuing to stand firm and hold dear to the Constitution. Because the truth doesn’t bend, and neither do our inherent God-given rights.
Last week, I traveled to Pierre to testify in strong support of Rep. Jon Hansen’s bill, HB 1219, which would prohibit the exercise of eminent domain for the construction of pipelines carrying carbon oxide.
The bill would provide much-needed clarity on distinguishing carbon used for permanent sequestration apart from critical things our communities need to thrive, things for the common good of all, like water or electric.
The bill would have also tackled our first two requests — protect private property rights and eliminate eminent domain for private gain.
Yet, it was narrowly voted down in committee, seven to six. One day, I’ll report the names of who voted against your private property rights. It is an election year after all, but that’s a story for a different day.
Things move fast in Pierre though, and later that same week, Rep. Hansen was able to smoke HB 1219 out on the floor. As I type this, we are waiting to hear if the House will agree to add it to the debate calendar and vote to send it to the Senate. I hope they do.
There’s much chaos and uncertainty in these pipeline discussions, and doing nothing and kicking the can just leaves our state in a place of turmoil. Hansen’s bill gives us some barriers to work within, and it’s my sincere belief, that if we take care of the Constitution, the business opportunities — for ethanol, agriculture, and even carbon pipelines — will naturally follow, without taking away the rights of the citizens to do it.
As I type this, a new bill will be introduced in the morning — SB 201. It claims to be providing clear guidance on pipelines; however, the devil is in the details. Within the language, it’s quite apparent to me that this terrible bill would effectively strip away local government control and give it to the state in an effort to streamline the process for pipelines to conduct their business.
However, the best governance is done as close to home as possible, where vested members of the community can lead, guide, and make decisions that impact the local area. There is no uniform, one-size-fits-all approach that perfectly suits all counties in South Dakota. From McPherson to Minnehaha, Meade to Davison, the terrain, population, and needs of the locals are vastly different. It’s insane to me that we would seek to give up that local leadership to be ruled over by bureaucrats and state government in Pierre — all over one pipeline.
How can you get involved? It’s simple. Please, urge your legislators to STOP SB 201 and vote YES on HB 1219, and let’s lay the groundwork for good, honest business dealings in South Dakota.
I’ll continue to watch as this session unfolds, and it’s my sincere hope that by the end, we can applaud our legislators and thank them for achieving what we asked them to do — preserve our private property rights; eliminate the use of eminent domain for private gain; and maintain local government control.
It’s the South Dakota way. It’s the American way. And I pray we get it right.