JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – In an effort to protect Missourians’ property rights, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey today filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit against the Grain Belt Express (GBE), a massive transmission line project that will unlawfully seize land from Missouri property owners, spanning the entire northern portion of the state.
“Living and raising my family in rural Missouri has given me a deep respect for personal property rights. No one knows better how to use Missouri land than Missouri farmers, ranchers, and landowners,” said Attorney General Bailey. “My neighbors are the legacy farmers and ranchers that sustain Missouri’s economy through livestock and agricultural production. I’m filing a motion to intervene to ensure Missouri farmers are not being strong armed into giving up their land.”
The GBE is an 800-mile-transmission line that would carry power starting in Kansas, through the entire northern portion of Missouri and eventually end in Indiana. An ‘off-shoot’ of the GBE would run through Monroe and Audrain Counties into Callaway County. The rural counties impacted in Missouri represent nearly a quarter-of-a-million residents, many of whom have fiercely opposed the project.
“Half of the counties that border my home in Montgomery County are destined to become pass-through counties for the Grain Belt Expressway and its Tiger Connector spur,” continued Attorney General Bailey. “The project will be built and funded by well-heeled, out-of-state private interests on the hope that, someday, energy purchasers across the Midwest might want the power flowing through these lines. This business venture is not intended to benefit Missourians or our state.”
Chuck Miller, President of the Missouri Cattleman’s Association, said, “Andrew Bailey has consistently stood for private property rights in our state. His motion to intervene is yet another example of his efforts to protect the rights of landowners.”
Monroe County Western District Commissioner Marilyn O’Bannon said, “Monroe County commissioners appreciate the support of Attorney General Bailey intervening in this lawsuit.”
The motion can be read here.