Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst made the following statement regarding representatives of Grain Belt Express soliciting easements during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Landowners who have been visited over the past week by agents seeking easements for the Grain Belt Express transmission line are understandably alarmed. Those in charge know better. Visits should be suspended as we all do our part to restrict travel and social contact. The rush to grab easements during a pandemic is yet another example of this company putting profits before people. This should be a wake-up call to those who support this company’s energy clearance sale and a harbinger of things to come for those who buy into the myth that eminent domain will only be used as a last resort.