The Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission will not promote a new casino in Polk County - or anywhere else - but will move forward with plans to hear proposals from five other counties whose voters have approved new gaming facilities, commission members said Thursday.
"We owe it to those five counties to give them the best shot and the best look and that's how we will proceed," said Commission Chair Greg Seyfer at a meeting at the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort.
Commissioner Kate Cutler added that it's not the board's role to encourage communities to apply for new gaming licenses. "We're not going to promote additional applications," she said. "That issue should be put to rest."
The five-member board is seeking to quell a furor that arose earlier this month when Peninsula Gaming and Wild Rose Entertainment announced they were both interested in opening a second casino in the Des Moines area. Polk County already has Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Altoona.
Michael Galloway of the Prairie Meadows Board of Directors said he does not believe the board is in favor of a second casino in Polk County.
"I think it's been a consensus of this board, from the members I've talked to, as well as the executive committee, that we as a board are not interested in exploring further gaming," Galloway said.
Some Iowans feared Polk County might jump ahead of five other communities that have been waiting to apply for new casino licenses. These communities - Fort Dodge, Ottumwa, Lyon County, Tama County, and Franklin County - have until November 9 to submit their applications to the commission. The deadline was extended from October 1 to give the groups more time to develop their financial plans, Seyfer said.
Steve Daniel, a Fort Dodge businessman working to bring a casino to his town, said he was glad to hear the commission's comments: "They did exactly what they should have. There needs to be a level playing field to present the proposals."
Daniel said he welcomes the extra five weeks to prepare the Fort Dodge application. "In the financial climate of a couple of years ago, it was easy, but now it's a little more difficult," he said after the meeting.
Union Leader Calls for Political Shake-Up to Get Labor Bills Passed
Ken Sagar, president of the Iowa Federation of Labor, called for a political shake-up during his opening statement for this year's AFL-CIO convention at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, saying the union must support not just Democrats, but candidates who share the union's priorities.
"Too many members have come to believe that we're simply an extension of the Democratic Party," Sagar told fellow union members. "That we're just an ATM for the Democratic Party. That we're labor ready for the Democratic Party. Those days are gone."
Sagar said the union has tried to protect incumbent candidates by not bringing up issues such as "fair share," prevailing wage, choice of doctor, and collective bargaining because they "didn't want to paint a target on them." But he said the union must instead be more aggressive with its legislative priorities, insisting that its issues shouldn't take a back seat.
"We set back in a defensive position for far too long," Sagar said. "Somebody once said the best defense is a good offense, and we are going on the offense. We are going to make sure that workers in this state have a strong voice."
Representative Bruce Hunter (D-Des Moines), a key advocate of the labor-backed bills, conceded at the convention that he doesn't expect any of the labor movement's main legislative issues to be passed in the Iowa legislature next year.
"I'm probably going to be realistically pessimistic, I guess, and no, I don't see those issues getting passed this year unfortunately," Hunter said.
But Hunter said he thinks next year's elections and an effort to make politicians aware that the union will turn to other candidates if they don't support those issues will result in future progress. "With that not only threat but actuality, I think those issues will get passed in the next couple years," he said.
Behn Joins Governor's Race; King Decides Against Run
One potential Republican gubernatorial candidate - Senator Jerry Behn of Boone - made his candidacy official this week while another - U.S. Representative Steve King of Kiron - decided against a run.
Calling Iowa "a rich state with poor leadership," King said he saw good candidates stepping into the governor's race, leading him to decide he could better serve the state in Congress.
"I find myself well positioned to continue to effectively oppose the hard leftward lurch of the Pelosi Congress while working to refurbish the pillars of American exceptionalism," King said. "Barring unforeseeable and dramatic events, I will not be a candidate for governor in 2010."
Meanwhile Behn, 55 and a corn and soybean farmer who has been a state senator for 13 years, became the sixth official Republican candidate for governor this week.
He said his campaign will focus on fiscal responsibility and job creation. He's an advocate for eliminating the state income tax to help boost the state's economy.
"I have 35 years of experience in the private sector," Behn said. "I run a farm. I've formulated a budget each and every year for the last 35 years. I've had to live with the consequences of that budget. And having served in the legislature, I also have a proven track record of fiscal responsibility. ... Jobs and job creation are really what it's going to take to move the state forward."
Behn voted for the Defense of Marriage Act in 1998 and said he'll fight to make sure Iowans have a chance to vote on a marriage amendment. "I don't think it's necessarily a Republican/Democrat/independent issue," he said. "The people that I've been chatting with regardless of their party affiliation feel that the Supreme Court overstepped its bounds, and they would like a chance to weigh in on it."
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Michael Kiernan quickly pounced on Behn's announcement, criticizing Behn's vocal opposition to Governor Chet Culver's $830-million I-JOBS program and even making a personal attack on Behn's ability to lead.
"As if the Republicans didn't have enough naysayers running for governor, state Senator Jerry Behn felt the need to add to the already loud chorus of 'no!' today," Kiernan said. "He's apparently proud of his record of 'no,' because he's saying more of the same as he launches a statewide campaign. He's got a rude awakening ahead of him, though, when Iowans find out he has no new ideas, no plan for recovery, no support for economic stimulus, and no idea how to lead this state."
Fong's Statewide Radio Ad Staying on the Air Despite Complaints
Republican gubernatorial candidate Christian Fong this week launched a 60-second ad called "Iowa Dream" that focuses on introducing himself and outlining his story for Iowa Republicans.
It tells the story of his father Nelson Fong, saying he was "drawn by the promise of freedom to the United States in '63" and "met a farm girl, worked many jobs, and eventually settled in a small western Iowa town."
The ad also says Iowa now has "a state government that borrowed almost a billion dollars to pay its bills," a line that has drawn criticism from Democrats.
Kiernan called the ad "materially false and misleading" and called on Fong to take the ad down "before any other action is taken," noting that the legal process was used to halt an ad in the Iowa House District 90 race.
"To suggest money borrowed for the I-JOBS initiative means the budget is out of balance is false," Kiernan said. "It's like telling Iowans who have home mortgages that their personal finances won't be balanced for 30 years. It makes no sense."
But Fong's campaign has refused to take the ad down.
"We have no intention to take down the ad," Marlys Popma, Fong's campaign manager, told IowaPolitics.com. "We're very confident that everything in the ad is completely accurate."
Popma said the I-JOBS program will cost the state about $1.4 billion by the time it's paid off.
Anti-Branstad Fliers Draw Republican Concern
The Republican Party of Iowa wants the Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board to investigate the group behind the fliers left on windshields around Des Moines last weekend attacking former Governor Terry Branstad, but officials with that agency aren't sure much can be done.
"Right now, we aren't sure we can do anything since Branstad isn't a clearly identified candidate for public office," said Meghan Van Wyk, a spokesperson for the Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board.
Charlie Smithson, the board's executive director, also said he wasn't sure yet whether the board will investigate.
"An initial issue the board would need to wrestle with is whether Branstad is a 'candidate' for public office in Iowa," Smithson said. "At this point I question whether he falls within the definition of 'candidate' and as such the group in question has not advocated for or against a clearly identified candidate, and the flier would not trigger the campaign laws."
Smithson said one of the most difficult components would be tracking down the anonymous author of the flier. "But ultimately I will also put it on the board agenda as it involves important questions of law," he said.
The flier accuses Branstad of having "liberal views" and said it was paid for by Iowans for Truth & Honest Government.
It says that Branstad raised sales taxes during a recession, nominated some of the judges who recently legalized same-sex marriage, and grew the state budget from $2 billion to $4.5 billion while in office.
This weekly summary comes from IowaPolitics.com, an online government and politics news service. IowaPolitics.com staff contributed to this report.
