A court ruling out of Iowa could have big impacts for drainage districts and infrastructure projects, in turn affecting agriculture. It focuses on the scope of federal protection for railroads and the rights of local governments. Roger McEowen, with the Washburn School of Law, offers explanations of some related concepts, such the “blanket veto,” and anticipates what the state-level implications might be and the potential for this ruling to provide a roadmap for cases in other states challenging railroad obstruction to infrastructure projects.
