Guest Editorial in the Des Moines Register by Iowa State Rep. Ralph Watts of Adel, Iowa. Ralph is a Republican, an engineer, a small business owner, and one of Iowa’s leading members of ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council).
The Register published an op-ed Feb. 23 written by Paul Cienfuegos, an Oregon-based community activist who preaches an anti-government, sovereign citizen message in response to the Iowa Utilities Board permitting discussions on the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Cienfuegos claims this issue can be resolved, to his satisfaction at least, by individual counties and cities taking action of their own. Nothing can be further from the truth or the law in Iowa. Iowa’s own attorney general has stated that though counties and local communities can enact local ordinances they cannot be in conflict with state law. Furthermore, as representatives of the people of Iowa, the General Assembly, has granted the authority to regulate pipelines in this state to the IUB. It is well within the legal purview of the board to oversee the open and orderly process that has led to the final permitting discussions on the Dakota Access Pipeline. …
To read the entire Guest Editorial, click HERE.
To read the Guest Editorial from Paul Cienfuegos that Rep Watts was responding to, click HERE.