House Speaker Pat Grassley says he’d like to ensure a new moratorium on casinos would have enough votes to pass the Senate and be signed into law by the governor before the House takes a vote on the proposal.
“I would like for us to reach some sort of a consensus on what that would look like if we are to move forward,” Grassley said.
Last spring, just before the 2024 legislature adjourned, 71 House members voted for a ban on new casino licenses through 2029, but the Senate never considered it. Representative Bobby Kaufmann, a Republican from Wilton, has said he’ll introduce a casino moratorium bill this week.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has scheduled February 6th vote on a casino license for a $275 million “Cedar Crossing” casino in Cedar Rapids, but that would be nixed if lawmakers enact a moratorium before then.
“The legislature, if we make that decision, has the ability to move fairly quickly. It still takes time, obviously, to move bills whether it’s through the House or the Senate,” Grassley says. “…There are some divides in the legisalture, regardless of party…so we’ll have some conversations if that’s the route we decide to go.”
Grassley made his comments during an appearance on “Iowa Press” on Iowa PBS.
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