Meeting Public Comments

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SF 2449

A bill for an act relating to oil and gas production, including filing requirements, the authority of the department of natural resources, confidential information, and pooling orders.(Formerly SF 546, SF 268; See SF 2490.)

Agenda

Subcommittee members: Bousselot-CH, Quirmbach, Sweeney

Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Time: 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Location: Senate Lounge

Comments Submitted:

The purpose of comments is to provide information to members of the subcommittee.

Names and comments are public records. Remaining information is considered a confidential record.

04-13-2026

Kathy Carter

VOTE NO on SF2449. This is plainly nothing less than another version of eminent domain. This bill FORCES an unwilling landowner to submit against their will. Additionally, it allows the DNR to make arbitrary changes WITHOUT notice to the landowner. This is a severe lack of transparency. It is the "heavy hand of government" taking away MORE landowner rights. It has to stop. Vote a RESOUNDING NO on SF2449.

04-13-2026

Michael Henning [Landowner]

Dear SenatorsWOW! A HORRIBLE BILL has just appeared on your calendar! SF2449 allows Forced Pooling over ALL property owners mineral rights! Everyone.... Urban, Rural, Private, Commercial, and Public property ALL Impacted!! Grrrrrrr A HORRIBLE attack as bad as using Eminent Domain. This issue deserves greater investigation and a full debate in future years.If passed, SF2449 would allow oil and gas companies to create a "pool" for an area where they want to use for oil/gas/hydrogen/etc.. Anyone in the pool area could be forced to give up their mineral rights to the company.SF2449 is eminent domain over our mineral rights.Please VOTE:No to SF2449 Forced PoolingYES to a Bill that includes HF2104 (No Eminent Domain for CO2 Pipelines.Thank you for your service this year and support on these bills!

04-13-2026

Deb Lavalle

Vote NO on SF2449. To allow this bill would be a most egregious taking, leaving me with no recourse to protect my Iowa farmland. Only legislators with no regard for basic constitutional property rights would support this bill.

04-13-2026

Winston Gadsby

Vote NO on SF2449. Our mineral rights must be protected. This is an underhanded attempt to steal individual landowners' mineral rights before the general public understands what is going on. The statement below is on behalf of my wife, Lucy Gadsby. It appears there is a two day wait to create an account on this system! This is yet another attempt to suppress interaction for the general public to communicate with legislators, and for them to push unpopular bills through without user feedback. Message:*******************************I ask that you definitely vote NO on SF2449. It is an odious bill that would take away Iowans' property rights. The government has no business forcing landowners to give up our mineral rights. The government is supposed to PROTECT our Godgiven rights! FORCED pooling is against what Iowans stand for. We prize, not despise, our liberties and rights; as leaders, you should as well! Vote NO on SF2449.

04-14-2026

Patty Beyer

While SF 2449 is pitched as an update to regulatory procedures,the bill actually destroys transparency, bypasses public oversight, and disadvantages Iowans in favor of industrial interests.Section 4 grants the director of the DNR the power to bypass the law and grant variances to any rules, regulations, or orders without a public hearing thus eliminating the ability of the public to voice concerns. Section 5 shields information from public records requests for at least five years including information on chemical usage that would pose a risk to public health and groundwater. Section 8 allows the state to force nonconsenting landowners into a pooling order and then allows the oil/gas company to seize a massive portion of the owner's potential profit as a penalty. Iowas regulatory system relies on transparency and respect for property rights. SF 2449 compromises these values and fails to serve the public interest. I urge you to address these concerns. Thank you.

04-14-2026

Jan Norris

Vote NoI googled forced pooling:In its essence, forced pooling is the taking of private property (also known as private eminent domain) that also forces the impacts of drilling onto landowners. Pooled landowners face toxic air emissions, risks of water pollution and other environmental impacts related to drilling.As a landowner, Im trying to understand something very simple: how does my no suddenly stop mattering? Because under this law, if I dont agree, the state can step in and include me anyway mandatory participation. And this bill goes even further drawing boundaries before they are proven, expanding areas based on what is believed and placing costs on people who never agreed in the first place. The term nonconcenting owner is used. If I dont consent but am still in the pool, then my property rights dont mean what the Constitution says they mean.

04-14-2026

Barb Schomaker

Please vote NO NO NO on SF2449. This is yet another way to take away property rights (eminent domain) from Iowans by force pooling for minerals. Why should we Iowans have to continually fight for our property rights? We shouldn't. You know that the Constitution says No eminent domain. Texans have learned that the mineral rights stay with the landowner. Learn from them and vote NO NO NO on SF2449 to protect Iowa's property rights. Barb SchomakerGreenville, IA

04-14-2026

Debra Wheeloer

I urge you to vote NO on Senate File 2449. This proposal is simply eminent domain in disguise, compelling landowners to go along with something they do not agree to nor want.Private property rights matter in Iowa, and landowners should never be forced into submission. Please stand with your constituents and oppose this bill.Vote NO on SF 2449.

04-14-2026

Kevin & Sandy Sprung

Please vote NO on SF2449 for forced pooling.Property owners should have control over our mineral rights. Please consider the consequences of your decisions and how they will affect everyone, including your own family sometime in the future.Please Vote NO on SF2449. Thank you, Kevin & Sandy

04-14-2026

Ann Bokelman

I am requesting that everyone votes no on SF2449. When did the public start paying the taxes on my personal land? This forced pooling is just another name for eminent domain for private gain. This has got to stop now! No one should be forced to give up any control over their personal property for something that is not a public project. Even then, it should be used with great discretion. Again, I request you vote know on SF2449.Respectfully,Ann and Henry Bokelman

04-14-2026

Robert Nazario

Vote NO The criminal element of our Legislature is at it again.... Always trying to circumvent the Constitution to gain ground for corporate and political gains. We MUST say NOT and VOTE NO to any and All legislation that means to take individual due process away from the people. Illegal Takings whether above ground or below must not be done.

04-14-2026

Bev McGriff

Please vote NO on SF2449! This bill resembles using eminent domain for mineral rights, but also lacks the rights and due process associated with eminent domain. Instead it simply takes what belongs to the property owner. My IA senator suggested that Klimesh could try to connect this bill with his amendment for HF2104. Only legislators with NO regard for basic constitutional property rights would support SF 2449. Vote NO on SF2449. Bev McGriff

04-14-2026

Darlene Partlow [Landowner]

Vote NO on SF2449. It's hard to believe that our legislators in this great state are so willing to turn over EVERY Iowans'rights! This bill is just another way to give away something that is NOT yours to someone else for economic profits,then, punish the property owner for daring to say "NO". This is eminent domain over mineral rights with the heavy hand of government controlling it.

04-14-2026

Marta Burkgren

Vote NO on SF2449. This bill forces landowners to take part in a pool whether they want to or not, with less favorable terms, and lacks a clear negotiation process that places both parties on an equal footing. The process lacks transparency and does not require proper landowner notifications. If I am not mistaken, it is similar to a law in North Dakota that was recently found unconstitutional in two court cases. Please support constitutionally guaranteed private property rights and vote NO on SF2449.

Attachment

04-14-2026

Ron Morgan

Vote NO on SF2449. Iowa government is supposed to protect the property rights of its citizens, not give them away. The bill allows the DNR to bypass the law, takes away transparency, and eliminates public notifications. It forces landowners into a pool without their consent. SF2449 violates Constitutional rights of private property owners and amounts to an egregious taking of property. Please vote NO on SF2449.

04-14-2026

Dennis King

VOTE NO on bill SF2449 this bill allowing mineral pooling is nothing more than the use of eminent domain against landowner's private property rights. Those legislatures that want to push this bill through in secret are not serving the people. You have been elected by the PEOPLE, to sever the PEOPLE DO YOUR JOB. The government is supposed to PROTECT us.Dennis King3965 290th AveDickens IA 51333

04-14-2026

Julie Johnson

SF 2449 is insulting to Iowa landowners. Any nonconsenting landowner is required to reimburse the producer 100% of their costs above ground and 200% of their costs below ground before the landowner gets anything outof exploratory endeavors. I thought that's what voluntary capital investorswere for. News flash: the ordinary Iowa landownerlike my familydoes not have the financial resources to be angel investors for private companies! Ifa company wants to make risky exploratory ventures, then it should find investors on its own, and not penalize Iowa landowners for not joining in! This bill is beyond appalling in stripping Iowa landowners of their individualproperty rights. Vote NO on SF2449!