Arkansas: Court Partially Blocks Challenge to Anti-casino Measure

Voters in Arkansas approved four casino licenses back in 2018. While three casinos have been established already, the fourth license, the one in Pope County, was tangled in a prolonged legal battle. Now, a Supreme Court decision helped partially resolve the hurdle.

The State May Lose Millions If Issue 2 Receives Approval
On Monday, the Arkansas Supreme Court rejected a petition filed by the Arkansas Canvassing Compliance Committee (ACCC) that challenged the findings of a special master, who was tasked with scrutinizing the anti-casino ballot measure. Last month, the special master appointed on the matter, Randy Wright, concluded that 6,000 signatures that supported an anti-casino ballot initiative lacked sufficient addresses, which is why they had to be disqualified.

A unanimous decision of the Supreme Court saw it reject the ACCC’s claims that the anti-casino ballot initiative should be disqualified due to violations related to the gathering of signatures. Still, the anti-casino initiative remains valid as the Supreme Court did not rule on the part of the lawsuit that took issue with the ballot title and wording.

Allison Burum, ACCC’s spokesperson, who was recently quoted by the Arkansas Advocate, said on the topic: “While disappointing, we still await the Court’s decision on the ballot title challenge.” Moreover, Burum explained: “Issue 2 is misleading, and its sole purpose is to undo the will of Arkansas voters by eliminating the fourth casino license they approved in 2018. Voters will see this as a bad deal — out-of-state billionaires trying to manipulate Arkansans into changing the constitution to benefit their own self-interest.” According to the executive, if Issue 2 receives approval, the state would lose millions in tax revenue and thousands of jobs.

Separate Court Ruling on Issue 2 Is Expected
Hans Stiritz, spokesperson for Local Voters in Charge, the organization that is on the opposite side, added: “We’re grateful for today’s Arkansas Supreme Court ruling.” He explained that it is great for the Supreme Court to recognize the proper collection of 110,000 signatures in support of the anti-casino measure.

If Issue 2 is approved, it would repeal the Pope County casino license, requiring separate approval for the establishment of a new casino. However, it is currently unclear whether or not the votes on Issue 2 would be counted as a separate court ruling is required.