(Des Moines, Iowa/ KCCI-TV) – Republican leaders of the Iowa House say they have enough signatures from its members to convene a special legislative session in order to vote to override Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ veto of House File 639. House File 639 was a key piece of legislation passed this spring by the Iowa House and Senate. Proponents said it would strengthen private property rights.

Iowa landowners have been fighting for this legislation for years, as Summit Carbon Solutions continued work on its proposed $8.9 billion, 2,500-mile carbon capture pipeline, which would run through Iowa and other states. In a statement released after vetoing the legislation, Reynolds said HF 639 was about more than eminent domain and would set a “troubling precedent that threatens Iowa’s energy reliability, economy and reputation as a place where businesses can invest with confidence.”

Immediately after Reynolds’ veto, Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, called for the legislature to reconvene in a special session to override the veto. The House petition collected signatures from 70 lawmakers, surpassing the two-thirds majority required to call for a special session. The Iowa Senate would also need to collect enough signatures — also a two-thirds majority — on a petition to convene the special session.

Last week, Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Grimes, said he did not believe the Senate would “be interested in any attempt to override her veto.” Two-thirds of both chambers would need to vote for an override for the bill to become law without the governor’s approval.

The last time the Iowa legislature convened to override a governor’s veto was in 2006.