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(Des Moines, IA) -- Proposals that have been moving in the Iowa Legislature revolve around eminent domain and its use for a private project. Nearly a month ago, the Iowa House passed a pair of bills on the topic. One bill that passed through the subcommittee and committee levels prior to April's second funnel deadline. But with just over a week left in the scheduled session, that bill has not seen a vote from the full Iowa Senate. State lawmakers are divided on who to blame for the delay.
State Sen. Lynn Evans (R-Aurelia) began the conversation on Tuesday when he made a point of personal privilege at the end of the day's debate.
"What I would encourage everyone to do," Evans says. "Have a visit with [Sen. Mike Klimesh]. We need to know how many people are in support of this. We better all be in support of it. Every one of us. Doesn't matter if you're a Republican or Democrat."
While bills generally get debate if Republican leadership can be sure they have the votes within their party, they only need a simple majority of 26 votes to pass and the needed votes could come from the minority. State Sen. Jesse Green (R-Harcourt) says he doesn't know if they would get those votes on this bill.
"I don't know where the Democrats stand on anything," Green says. "I mean, the party won't make a statement...I think when you're in the minority and you're trying to get some effort behind something, you would have those serious conversations with a handful of Republicans."
State Sen. Zach Wahls (D-Coralville) says each individual has their own vote.
"The idea that the party has a whole position on it is kind of my point," Wahls says. "You want to say 'well, all Democrats believe this or all Democrats believe that'...and try to make this a partisan thing when we all know that if that bill was on the floor there would be 26 votes for it."
State Sen. Tony Bisignano (D-Des Moines) calls on Republican leadership to add the bill to the debate calendar.
"Yes, we support it over here," Bisignano says. "You've been playing a hide-and-go-seek game over there. Bring it up. Let's debate it, and let's vote on it. Give the people up there the right to their day of debate."
To close the point, Evans says he didn't mean to cause a stir.
"I'm encouraging everyone in this chamber to show support and make sure we verbally are expressing that support for moving a bill forward," Evans says. "I appreciate the work that has been done getting it through subcommittee and getting it through committee. That hasn't happened in the recent past."
The bill is eligible for consideration at any point between now and the end of the session, which is scheduled for next week.