Local state legislators Senator Dawn Driscoll and Representative Heather Hora discussed their priorities at the first Washington County legislative briefing, including casino moratoriums. Hora shared her thoughts on the proposal to build a casino in Cedar Rapids, and the impact that could cause Washington County, “My number one priority for me in the House is the casino moratorium. We hope to run it out of committee. This is something that would cause Riverside to lose two hundred jobs, two hundred jobs in a county our size is big, and we have to take that very serious. I appreciate that Cedar Rapids is so passionate about what they want, but we need it here in rural Iowa, and they had first opportunity.”  House Speaker Pat Grassley said in a statement to Iowa Press on January 15th that 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. 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. The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has scheduled a February 6 vote on an application for a new casino in Cedar Rapids. The public may submit written comments on the matter to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission any time before February 6th. Visit this story at KCIIRadio.com to learn how to submit a comment.

For written comments, include your full name, if you represent a group or business, and your city and state of residence.

Via email at: irgc@iowa.gov

Via standard mail at: 
Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission
6200 Park Ave., Ste 100
Des Moines, IA 50321