A key lawmaker says the Iowa Legislature will no doubt get involved in the debate over whether new riverboat and track gambling licenses should be granted. The State Racing and Gaming Commission is examining its own moratorium on new licenses, but Republican Representative Libby Jacobs of West Des Moines predicts the Legislature will debate the issue. Jacobs says the chairman of the Racing and Gaming Commission says the Legislature should address the policy issue of just how many licenses should be issued, and whether the state should charge a fee for those licenses. Jacobs says that’s a policy decision the legislature is likely to debate, but they want to see what the study says..Jacobs says the state’s tight budget situation prompts lawmakers to at least consider expanding gambling — which would theoretically increase state gambling tax revenue. But she says gambling expansion is not a given.House Democratic Leader Pat Murphy of Dubuque offers a different view. Murphy says he doesn’t know that there’s a huge push to expand gambling in Iowa, but he concedes that since he comes from a town with a race track and a floating casino, it’s much easier for him to say that.” Murphy and Jacobs made their comments today during taping of the I-P-T-V program “Iowa Press” which airs at 7:30 this evening.
