A coalition of opponents to a pipeline regulation bill are celebrating its overwhelming defeat by South Dakota voters.
In the aftermath of the election, Referred Law 21 opponents say they’re looking forward.
Proponents for RL 21 said the bill would have offered protections for landowners thought the state. They also said a carbon pipeline would have brought new income.
Opponents said the bill would have violated the property rights of South Dakotans.
Chase Jenson is the Senior Organizer for Dakota Rural Action. He said the fight now moves back to the Legislature.
“As the loud majority, we celebrate this victory and we look forward to this next session. Where we will actually get to some of the root causes that this project has raised in our state, and we will not settle for false compromise bills like Referred Law 21 was,” said Jenson.
Summit Carbon Solutions is the company behind the proposed pipeline. It has faced pushback from both landowners and the Public Utilities Commission.
Brain Jorde is a lawyer who has represented landowners in their fight against carbon pipelines. He said he has seen the grassroots effort grow.
“To have the whole state now, not just the affected counties, the whole state - tell them, ‘no.’ It’s time for Summit and their sympathizers and their friends and the politicians that they fund to realize, you’ve got to respect local control in South Dakota, respect the ordinances, and eminent domain cannot be used. And if they don’t get that through their head, this pipeline will not be built in South Dakota ever,” said Jorde.
Jorde said despite beating both Summit and Navigator in PUC hearings, sympathetic legislators were keeping the project alive in the state.
He points to the 11 lawmakers who voted for Senate Bill 201 who lost their legislative races as proof of what South Dakotans want from their legislators on the topic.
Summit said it plans to reapply with the PUC on Nov. 19.
