A five-year moratorium on new state-licensed casinos easily passed the Iowa House yesterday, but Iowa Senate President Amy Sinclair suggests its chances in the Senate are far different.
“Honestly, I’d say the prospect of a moratorium is basically a jump ball in the senate,” she said. “…I don’t know. I’ve tried to do a soft vote count. I can’t honestly tell you where the senate will land.”
Sinclair indicates a provision tucked in the bill that makes the moratorium retroactive to January 1st of this year means there’s no rush to approve the bill before February 6. That’s when the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is scheduled to decide whether to grant a state license for a casino in Cedar Rapids.
Sinclair said the bill that passed the House on a 68-31 vote yesterday will be sent to the Senate State Government Committee next week for review.
“I don’t believe there is any fast tracking that we can do,” Sinclair said, “that we would do.”
The Senate Local Government Committee passed its own version of a casino moratorium yesterday, but Sinclair said that bill also will be referred to the State Government Committee. The pace will allow for an important “philosophical conversation,” Sinclair said.
“This isn’t a Republican versus Democrat issue. This is an Iowa issue and the question is: Are there enough casinos in the state or are there not?,” Sinclair said. “The quetion is: Should we allow those established boards and commissions to do the job they were appointed to do or do we not?”
Sinclair made her comments this afternoon during taping of the “Iowa Press” program that airs tonight on Iowa PBS at 7:30.
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