A number of bills failed to survive the Iowa legislature’s first major deadline of the 2015 session, including Senate File 139, a measure that would have authorized a non-smoking casino in Cedar Rapids. Local officials lobbied to pass the non-smoking casino bill after the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission last year rejected a proposal for a 4 million casino, noting it would cannibalize business from existing operations. Several analysts and observers felt taking the issue to the legislature was a way to circumvent the IRCG’s decision and allow a Cedar Rapids casino.
The bill’s sponsor, State Senator Wally Horn, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, said his bill was close to passing but lawmakers with casinos in their districts opposed it. “I really had an uphill fight. If any one of them who had a casino would have voted for me I could have had it. The rest were just locked and there was nothing I could do about it.”
Horn’s bill is not dead but most likely will not be taken up again this year. Horn said he’ll continue to fight for the proposed $170 million casino project to be located across from downtown Cedar Rapids. He added he will try to get approval for an interim committee to consider the benefits of a smoke-free casino.
A House panel considered a similar bill authorizing two no-smoking casinos but it also did not advance.
Smoking is permitted on the gambling floors of all of Iowa’s 19 casinos.
