HEADLINE: "Days Before Voting Against Eminent Domain Protections, Mitchell Received Largest Campaign Contribution Of The Year From Summit CEO" [Iowa Standard, 5/21/22]
2022: Mitchell Was The Lone Republican “No” Vote In Committee On A Bill To Temporarily Protect Landowners From Eminent Domain In Response To A Carbon Pipeline Project Proposal. According to the Iowa Standard, "One of the more interesting moments of the 2022 legislative session was a committee meeting during which State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann amended a bill to provide protection for landowners against the use of eminent domain until March of 2023 for the carbon pipeline projects. It appears this effort will not pass muster in the Iowa Senate after a different version passed the Iowa House, but it was one Republican state representative in particular who voted no in committee that added to the interest of the issue. If you recall, there was one Republican no vote in the State Government Committee when the amendment was voted upon — Rep. Joe Mitchell." [Iowa Standard, 5/21/22]
Iowa Standard Reported Mitchell Had A Close Relationship With Terry Branstad, A Senior Policy Advisor At Summit Carbon Solutions And Chairman Of Run GenZ, The Organization Mitchell Founded. According to the Iowa Standard, "At the time we pointed out Mitchell’s close relationship with Terry Branstad. Branstad is senior policy advisor for Summit Carbon Solutions, a company that stands to gain quite a bit from the CO2 pipeline project it is working on in Iowa. Branstad also happens to be chairman of Run GenZ’s advisory board. Run GenZ’s president and founder? Joe Mitchell." [Iowa Standard, 5/21/22]
Mitchell Voted No On The Amendment Eight Days After Receiving A $10,000 Campaign Contribution From The CEO Of Summit Agricultural Group. According to the Iowa Standard, "But there is an additional detail we did not know and was only revealed this week. The vote on the amendment happened on March 16. Eight days earlier Mitchell received his largest campaign contribution of the reporting period. It was a $10,000 contribution from Bruce Rastetter. Rastetter is CEO of Summit Agricultural Group." [Iowa Standard, 5/21/22]
Mitchell Claimed He Voted Against The Amendment To Protect Landowners From Eminent Domain In Order To Support Biofuels And Alleviate The Energy Crisis. According to the Iowa Standard, "So when Mitchell voted against the amendment to protect landowners from eminent domain, we asked him why. And he responded: ‘As gas prices are at record highs and our agriculture industry is under attack, it’s extremely unfair to switch up the rules in the middle of a process that will support biofuels and benefit everyday Iowans. This is not about politics. This is about a fair process, supporting agriculture, and alleviating the energy crisis that is hurting our communities.’" [Iowa Standard, 5/21/22]
HEADLINE: “Proposed Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Draws Opposition From Iowa Farmers And Environmentalists Alike” [Iowa Public Radio, 10/13/21]
HEADLINE: “Iowa Regulators Approve Summit Carbon Pipeline Permit” [Farm Policy News, 6/27/24]
HEADLINE: “A Pipeline Company Filed Hundreds Of Lawsuits Against Landowners. Now Its Project Is Threatened” [Associated Press, 4/9/25]