Sen. Darren Bailey meets supporters at the Agricultural Legislative Roundtable. | Facebook
Sen. Darren Bailey meets supporters at the Agricultural Legislative Roundtable. | Facebook
An unprecedented eminent domain scheme that will deprive Illinois farmers of land via a 200-mile-long transmission line being laid across the state is at the center of a dispute between GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey and Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
The power line is planned to cross over Pike, Scott, Greene, Macoupin, Montgomery, Christian, Shelby, Cumberland, and Clark counties. Bailey noted “there’s no reason why that line needs to cross our state,” in regards to the Grain Belt Express.
“There is not an eminent domain provision in the bill that allows the state to take property under eminent domain anymore than there was before there was a Climate and Equitable Jobs Act,” Pritzker said and has disputed Bailey’s earlier claim that was given in response to his own quote that “one reason alone why I would vote no on this bill, it would be because of the eminent domain clause.”
“If J.B. is comfortable walking into a room and lying to the faces of working people about this, how can he be trusted to tell the truth about anything? I'm focused on honest leadership that identifies problems, brings people to the table, and finds solutions to make Illinois safer and more affordable for everyone," Bailey said according to The Center Square.
The Grain Belt Express is a planned energy line that will span Illinois connecting windmills from Indiana to Kansas. Pritzker has been touting the line as part of the New Green Deal, an ambitious plan in which he and state Democrats are driving up energy costs by prematurely offlining fossil fuels.
“For the first time, the state of Illinois has granted a private company eminent domain over private property,” State Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) said. “And I think this is unprecedented ... we’ve never seen this before.”
Farmers in Missouri recently protested the project. A mid-Missouri farmer organizing the protest, Pat Stemme told KOMU-TV that he believes that if they don't stand up and "we just roll over and let this happen, we're going to just keep losing our rights. And I've really learned a lot about how little protection landowners have out here.”
The Grain Belt Express is a public utility in Kansas, Missouri, and Indiana. Its website notes that “Connecting four states across 800 miles, Grain Belt Express is a transmission line carrying more affordable, reliable power to the Midwest and delivering 100% domestic, clean electricity for our homes and businesses.”
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