Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has signed into law a measure that places a two-year moratorium on new casino licenses in the state.
P2E’s Cedar Rapids casino project now put on hold
The moratorium, included in House File 2497, was passed by the Iowa Legislature by a vote of 35-11 in the Senate and 60-23 in the House in late May. Now that the measure has been officially signed into law, P2E’s proposed casino project in Cedar Rapids will be put on hold.
Cedar Rapids mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said that the governor knew that the signing of the bill was “a disappointing decision for me as mayor and for the city.”
Speaking to the Cedar Rapids Gazette, she said:
“I expressed to her my disappointment and reassured her that Cedar Rapids would still be here when the moratorium is lifted in two years.”
However, proponents of the measure including Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, who chairs the House State Government Committee, said that the bill was a necessary step to maintain a balance in the state and to avoid market saturation. There are currently 19 state-owned casinos and 23 casino in total currently operating in Iowa.
While Linn County Gaming Association president Anne Parmley is convinced that the moratorium is “clearly targeting” the county, the Iowa Gaming Association’s president, Wes Ehrecke, has stated that the group fully supports the measure.