The prospects for a smoke-free casino in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a proposal led by former Iowa House speaker and current Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett, are not good, state Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal said recently. “It’s a bit of a long shot. It’s a tough issue.” State House Minority Leader Mark Smith said his 43-member caucus has not even discussed the issue. Both said it’s unlikely lawmakers would approve legislation telling the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission to issue a gaming license for the Cedar Rapids casino. They said Corbett’s group may have to settle for lawmakers encouraging the commission to consider their plan, if that much.
Last April, after the IRGC denied a gaming license for a proposed downtown Cedar Rapids casino, Corbett floated a gaming reform measure to direct more gaming profits to the 84 Iowa counties that do not host casinos; cut casinos’ taxes on promotions to attract customers; and require casinos to share those tax savings with local nonprofit groups. Corbett said the revenue lost by the state would be balanced by new revenue from a smoke-free Cedar Rapids casino. Smoking is allowed on the gaming floor of Iowa’s 18 state-licensed casinos.
Corbett acknowledged “it’s a difficult road for us, but the door is not shut completely. They’re letting us know it won’t be easy, but they’re not saying ‘no.’” Based on his experience, Corbett said, “the legislature oftentimes develops its agenda during the session. Look, it took legislators several years to get commercial property tax relief. And they’ve been working on the gas tax and haven’t done anything on roads and bridges.”
Still, Gronstal said, there are “countervailing forces.” He noted, “There are a lot of people who would say, ‘Wait a minute, I’m not sure that doesn’t impact me.’ So there will be those political tensions. That makes it tough.” Gronstal pointed out in 2004 lawmakers approved legislation to encourage the commission to consider casino expansion into underserved areas, but they stopped short of telling the commission where to issue a gaming license. “So for the Legislature to actually, literally pick the location and say this is what is going to happen, it’s a long shot,” he said.
Responded Corbett, “Until the legislature adjourns, every bill has a chance.”
