The topic of legalizing sports betting has started back up in the Iowa Legislature.

Following a decision by the US Supreme Court last year that struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) that was enacted in 1992 that froze state regulations against sports betting and it is now up to individual states to legalize it. District 47 Representative Phil Thompson shares his thoughts on where he stands on sports betting.

“I plan to support it. Being apart of that committee I’m involved in putting those pieces together on where we put it and the data. So I’m certainly for moving it forward I think it’s going to continue to be really important to Greene County and the surrounding region.”

State Senator Jerry Behn of Boone describes his opinion on the issue.

“I don’t have strong feelings on it either way. I know there’s ideas that it would be an advantage as far as revenue to the state of Iowa. And that if we don’t do it it’s going on in other places. That being said, I’ve never been a big gambling fan. I’ll just have to take a look at it and see what they are proposing.”

Thompson adds that when a bill is drafted, there will be lots of public hearings and opportunities for the public to speak on the topic. He anticipates a bill to come out of committee very soon.