State Democratic leaders call smoke-free Cedar Rapids casino proposal ‘a long shot’

HIAWATHA - Approval of a bipartisan proposal for a smoke-free casino in downtown Cedar Rapids will be up to its backers, according to Iowa Democratic legislative leaders, who made clear it's not one of their priorities.

'It's a bit of a long shot,” Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said Monday during a stop at Kirkwood Community College's center in Hiawatha. 'It's a tough issue.”

Gronstal is doubtful lawmakers would approve legislation telling the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission to approve a license for a specific casino location.

The most Cedar Rapids casino backers could hope for from lawmakers, he suggested, would be for them to encourage the commission to consider Cedar Rapids' proposal to build a downtown, smoke-free casino.

Smoking is allowed on the gaming floor of Iowa's 18 state-licensed casinos.

House Minority Leader Mark Smith, D-Marshalltown, said his 43-member caucus has not discussed the issue. But he agreed it would not be easy to win approval of the plan being championed by Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett.

Corbett knows it will be a challenge to win approval, but the former Iowa House speaker also knows it often takes time to persuade lawmakers.

It's always been difficult to get majorities in the House and Senate for gambling legislation, he said.

'But look, it took them several years to get commercial property tax relief,” Corbett said. 'And they've been working on the gas tax and haven't done anything on roads and bridges.”

As long as lawmakers aren't saying 'no,” he believes there is a possibility for the Cedar Rapids proposal to gain traction.

Last April, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission denied a gaming license for a proposed casino on the west side of downtown Cedar Rapids.

Afterward, Corbett proposed a gaming reform measure that would steer more gaming profits to the 84 Iowa counties without casinos, cut taxes that casinos pay on promotions to attract customers, and require casinos to share the tax savings with their local not-for-profit groups. The revenue lost by the state would be balanced by new revenue from a smoke-free Cedar Rapids casino, according to the plan.

He doesn't doubt the passion of backers of a Cedar Rapids casino and those who want to ban smoking in casinos, Gronstal cautioned there will be 'countervailing forces.”

'There are a lot of people who would say, ‘Wait a minute, I'm not sure that doesn't impact me,'” Gronstal said. 'So there will be those political tensions. That makes it tough.”

Gronstal pointed out that in 2004 the Legislature approved legislation to encourage the commission to consider expansion in underserved areas. But it stopped short of telling the commission where to license a casino.

'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.

That's still a shot, Corbett said.

'It's a difficult road for us, but the door is not shut completely,” Corbett said. Lawmakers are 'letting us know it won't be easy, but they're not saying ‘no.'”

Besides, he added, lawmakers might be attracted to a big proposal.

'A lot of people say there weren't a lot of bold proposals in the last election cycle,” Corbett said.

Based on his experience, Corbett said, despite leaders' to-do lists, 'the Legislature oftentimes develops its agenda during the session.

'Until the Legislature adjourns, every bill has a chance,” Corbett said.