A proposed amendment to regulate casinos has collected enough signatures to go on the statewide ballot in November; meanwhile, the group behind an amendment to broaden medical marijuana in Arkansas gets more time to finish collecting signatures.
Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston sent out letters to groups pushing each amendment Wednesday. The office spent almost a month counting and approving signatures.
To get an amendment on the ballot, it needs 90,704 signatures from 50 Arkansas counties. The signatures have to be verified by the secretary of state's office, checking that they match the ones on the voter's registration form.
The casino amendment surpassed the threshold, collecting just over 116,000 valid signatures. The medical marijuana amendment only got 77,000 signatures validated, compared to the over 108,000 turned in. Under state law, the group behind the amendment gets a 30-day cure period to collect more signatures.
Casino Amendment
The full title of the casino amendment is long: “An amendment requiring local voter approval in a countywide special election for any new casino licenses and repealing authority to issue a casino license in Pope County, Arkansas.”
The amendment would require a local special election in communities considering building a casino. It's a response to “The Arkansas Casino Gaming Amendment of 2018.” This law granted casino licenses to four counties across the state: Crittenden, Garland, Jefferson and Pope. Unlike the other three counties, Pope County voters rejected the amendment by a vote of 7,064 to 10,858, or 39.42% to 60.58%.
Also unlike the other three counties, the casino in Pope County has still not been built after several years of legal battles. Several different bids have been put in for the casino that were subsequently overturned by the state Supreme Court.
A 2019 bid came from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, which was rejected. This group then funded the current amendment, which would repeal the casino license in Pope County, under the name “Local Voters in Charge.” The group paid for canvassers to go around the state collecting signatures. They say they want to give local control back to the community.
“In record numbers, Arkansas voters have stated the obvious,” Local Voters in Charge spokesman Hans Stiritz said in a statement. “Casinos should not be forced into communities that do not want them.”
Meanwhile, people who oppose the amendment say the county will continue to lose money if the casino is not built. Under the law, 8% of the tax money from the casino goes back into the county, 19.5% goes back into the city and 55% goes to the state general revenue fund
Natalie Ghidotti runs a Little Rock public relations firm and serves as vice chair of Investing in Arkansas, a group opposing the amendment. She has characterized the entire push to repeal the Pope County casino license a “temper tantrum,” since it is being funded by a group who lost the bid.
“Arkansans should vote ‘NO’ on the extremely misleading casino amendment if it makes the ballot in November," Ghidotti said in a statement. "It robs the state, Pope County and Russellville of jobs and revenue to fund essential services that benefit Arkansans."
Oklahoma-based Cherokee Nation Businesses was recently granted a license to build the casino in Pope County. It would be revoked if the amendment is approved.
Marijuana Amendment
The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2024 would loosen regulations on medical marijuana. The drug is legal in Arkansas, but only for a relatively short list of medical conditions. The amendment would broaden that to virtually any medical condition and allow a larger number of medical professionals to prescribe it.
Bill Paschall, a spokesman for the group Arkansans for Patient Access, said they're happy with the situation.
“This strong show of support reflects Arkansans' enthusiasm for an amendment that will reduce barriers to accessing medical marijuana and lower the costs associated with obtaining and maintaining a medical marijuana card.”
Out-of-state pro-marijuana groups raised money to help put the amendment on the ballot. They have until the close of business on August 30 to collect the additional 13,000 needed signatures to put the amendment on the ballot.
Paschall said he is confident his group can meet the deadline.
