Pope County residents seek to block the construction of a casino despite the November 6 approval of amendment authorizing gambling expansion in Arkansas
Pope County, Arkansas residents brought their push to prevent the construction of a full-scale casino to court, it became known. Citizens filed a lawsuit and submitted a request for opinion on the casino issue to the state Attorney General this past Thursday, local media outlets report.
News about Pope County’s move against casino gambling arrive after Arkansas voters approved the so-called Issue 4 on the November 6 ballot. The proposed Constitutional Amendment took effect on November 14, authorizing the addition of two casinos at the state’s existing Southland Gaming and Racing racetrack in West Memphis and Oaklawn Park Racing and Gaming racetrack in Hot Springs and the development of two new casinos in Jefferson and Pope Counties.
Under the newly adopted reforms in the state’s gambling law, the two new casinos must be sent letters of support from the county judges or quorum courts as well as from the mayor of the cities where the venues would be built.
Outgoing Pope County Judge Jim Ed Gibson wrote in a letter to the Arkansas Racing Commission, obtained by local news outlet KARK, that “if a license is issued for a casino in Pope County, Arkansas, [he gives his] support for Gulfside Casino Partnership.
County residents now seek a restraining order to stop Judge Gibson from signing a letter of support. In their lawsuit from Thursday, they cited a recently approved county ordinance, under which a judge cannot sign a letter of support for the casino without the approval of local voters.
Letters Should Be Dated after November 14
News also emerged that Sen. Breanne Davis, whose constituency includes Russellville, Pope County, has asked the Arkansas Attorney General for an opinion on whether residents of the county have the power to prevent the County Judge from signing a letter of support for the casino.
Sen. Davis has said that the issue is “very time sensitive”, particularly due to Judge Gibson’s letter and the fact that he is stepping down from his role on December 31.
The Arkansas Racing Commission approved this past Wednesday a rule under which any letter of support for any of the two news casinos dated after November 14 counted as valid.
As mentioned above, the recently enforced Constitutional Amendment authorizes the construction of new casinos in Pope and Jefferson Counties. Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington and Jefferson County Judge Booker Clemons both penned letters of support for the gambling venue last month.
The Quapaw Nation has expressed interest in building Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff. Tribal officials have previously said that they would target 2020 opening of the property, if they receive all the necessary approvals.
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