House Speaker says Governor must speak up on gambling tax issue

The Iowa Legislature’s top republican says Governor Tom Vilsack’s call for five-million dollars in state spending on water quality programs lacks one major component. House Speaker Christopher Rants says Vilsack’s five million would come from additional gambling taxes, but the Governor doesn’t spell out how the state would collect more money from the boats and race tracks. Rants, who is a republican from Sioux City, says if the Governor wants to spend extra gambling tax money, he’s going to have to get involved in the gambling debate and say whether he wants more gambling boats or perhaps higher taxes for the gambling enterprises already running in Iowa. Rants says the Governor needs to “stake out a position.” Vilsack has said it’s ridiculous to require that the riverboats cruise, and he’s said it’s up to legislators to decide whether the state should issue new gaming boat licenses.