DES MOINES, Iowa -- There won't be a new casino licensed in anywhere in Iowa for at least two years.
Governor Kim Reynolds signs a bill--HF2497--into law Friday putting in place a moratorium on new casinos through June 1st of 2024.
It's a blow for the city of Cedar Rapids, which has plans for a $250 million casino.
The city's been working for years to build a new casino, with Linn County voters approving it last November.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission rejected Cedar Rapids casino proposals in 2014 and in 2017.
Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell wrote a letter to the governor, asking her not to sign the bill.
O'Donnell says she's especially troubled by the speed at which the moratorium language was added as an amendment before the bill was approved.