Who's afraid of Iowa? Apparently some Minnesota lawmakers

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Minnesota legislators this week have been wringing their hands over their neighbor to the south in the Hawkeye State.

Sen. Claire Robling, R-Jordan, was among senators who expressed Iowa envy Monday during a floor debate on gambling.

She singled out Iowa while arguing in favor of allowing slot machines at the Canterbury Park horse racing track in Shakopee. She said Minnesota’s horse racing industry is struggling compared with Iowa’s, because that state allows such so-called racinos.

“Iowa has casinos in their race tracks. … Their purses for the prizes for the racing are much greater than what Canterbury has to offer. People are thinking Minnesota is a no-go for horse racing. We might as well just pack up our horses and head south. Members, that is a terrible loss to our state,” Robling said.

The Senate defeated the racino amendment 41-25.

But that wasn’t it for Iowa-related angst this week – more emerged Tuesday in the Senate Taxes Committee, of all places.

At the end of discussion on the weighty issue of the omnibus tax bill, Minority Leader David Senjem, R-Rochester, raised alarm about Minnesota’s record at losing business deals to Iowa. Senjem proffered as an example the recent decision from IBM, which has a plant in his district, to expand in Dubuque, Iowa. He added that the Senate DFL’s proposed $2.2 billion tax increase is going to damage the “come to Minnesota” message the state has to offer companies.

Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, quibbled with Senjem, noting that Iowa’s 12 percent corporate income tax rate is higher than Minnesota’s. Dibble said Iowa is doing a better job courting businesses.

“They’re beating us hands down because they are making investments in their infrastructure and their research and their economic development strategy. That’s what’s happening in Iowa. They’re not just cutting taxes,” Dibble said.

Minnesota is even losing out to Iowa, according to lawmakers, when it comes to, gasp, fishing.

Rep. Bob Gunther, R-Fairmont, on Tuesday spoke out against an amendment by Rep. Tom Hackbarth, R-Oak Grove, in the game and fish bill to remove a proposal to allow people to catch fish with two lines. Hackbarth opposed the $10 fee to use two lines.

Gunther, whose district is situated along the Iowa border, said Iowans get more fishing action than Minnesota because of the restriction.

“The Iowegians, or Wegies as we nicknamed them, fish with two lines all over the state. And (when) we fish the bordering lakes, we fish the Minnesota side with one pole. (When) we fish the Iowa side we can fish with two today. And I think as far as getting people more enthusiastic about fishing, if they have twice the chance, as a young person, of catching a fish and having a positive experience, I think that’s a very positive thing to have happen,” Gunther said.

Hackbarth’s amendment to remove the two-line fishing proposal was defeated 8-5.

Take that, Iowa.