State officials end negoitiations with gambling industry

Legislators and the Governor have given up negotiating with the state’s gambling industry to resolve a taxation issue. The tracks sued the state, and the Iowa Supreme Court has ruled the track casinos shouldn’t be taxed at a higher rate than the riverboats. In negotiations, the tracks were asking lawmakers for an expansion of their industry, for example, to allow table games at the tracks. House Speaker Christopher Rants, a Republican from Sioux City, says it’s back to square one — and letting the matter be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Rants says there’s not a lot to be gained by future discussions with representatives of the gambling industry. Rants says legislative leaders and the Governor have made their position “very clear.” Rants says the offer was to freeze the tracks’ state taxes at 30 percent and the tracks have rejected that. Rants says it’s a “waste of time” to discuss the wide-ranging wish list the tracks asked for. Rants says that tactic isn’t going to work this time because the gambling industry’s dealing with a different legislature and a different Governor. Previous gambling expansion plans were signed into law by former Governor Terry Branstad. In a prepared statement, Governor Vilsack said he was angry and frustrated by the racetrack casino executives “unwillingness” to settle the dispute. Vilsack said the tracks made “unreasonable requests” that he termed “shocking.”