State bill opposing Grain Belt Express moves to senate
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Missouri House bill that restricts eminent domain for transmission lines projects was read for the first time in the state senate on Tuesday.
If passed, HB 2033 would only allow rural electric cooperatives and some other electric corporations to use eminent domain for above-ground power line projects.
The bill passed through the House of Representatives on Monday with a vote of 118-42. State Rep. Jim Hansen (R) who represents Missouri's 40th District introduced the bill on Jan. 8.
The Grain Belt Express would carry electricity from Kansas across northwestern Missouri and a portion of the Midwest to Indiana. It cleared a key regulatory hurdle in 2019, but now the plan could be in jeopardy. State landowners have had concerns about the transmission line for years.
