Arkansas court backs casino ballot measure, rejecting lawsuit
Arkansas top court okayed ballot measure to cancel Pope County casino license‚ dismissing lawsuit. Ruling allows vote on proposal that sparked costly ad campaigns‚ with millions spent by Cherokee and Choctaw Nations
Arkansas highest court recently gave green light to a ballot measure that could cancel a planned casinos license in Pope County‚ The courts decision (made about a week ago) turned down a legal challenge claiming the proposed amendment had many mistakes.
The license for the Pope County casino was given out earlier this year to Cherokee Nation Entertainment by a state group. This casino was part of a change to states rules that voters said yes to roughly 6 years ago‚ which allowed casinos in four places in Arkansas.
The fight over this casino-related change has been costly and all over Arkansas TV and mail. Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma put in more than $88 million to back the proposed change. Cherokee Nation Businesses spent $116 million to fight against it.
People who like the change were happy with the courts choice. Hans Stiritz‚ speaking for Local Voters in Charge said: “Issue 2 stops casinos from being forced on places that vote against them; weʼre glad the Arkansas Supreme Court made this final choice to okay Issue 2 keep it on the ballot and let peoples votes count“
The suggested change would take out Pope Countys casino okay from the states main rules. It would also make future casino licenses need to be okayed by voters in the county where it would be built.
One judge Shawn Womack didnt agree with the others. He thought the ballot measure was “clearly misleading“ because it doesnt make it clear to voters that the plan would take away Pope Countys existing license
