Issue 2 of 2024 - Repealing Pope County Casino License and Requiring Local Elections
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An amendment requiring local voter approval in a countywide special election for certain new casino licenses and repealing authority to issue a casino license in Pope County, Arkansas
An amendment to the Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 100, § 4, subsection (i), to reduce the number of casino licenses that the Arkansas Racing Commission is required to issue from four to three; amending Amendment 100, § 4, subsections (k) through (n), to repeal authorization for a casino in Pope County, Arkansas and to repeal the authority of the Arkansas Racing Commission to issue a casino license for Pope County, Arkansas; amending Amendment 100 § 4, to add subsection (s), providing that if the Arkansas Racing Commission, or other governing body, issues a casino license for a casino in Pope County, Arkansas prior to the effective date of this Amendment, then said license is revoked on the effective date of this Amendment; amending Amendment 100 § 4, to add subsection (t), providing that if a future constitutional amendment authorizes the issuance of a casino license in any county other than those issued now or hereafter for Crittenden County (to Southland Racing Corporation), Garland County (to Oaklawn Jockey Club, Inc.) and Jefferson County (to Downstream Development Authority of the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma and later transferred to Saracen Development, LLC), then the quorum court of each county where a casino is to be located shall call a special election by ordinance to submit the question of whether to approve of a casino in the county; amending Amendment 100 § 4, to add subsection (t)(1)-(3), setting the date for the special election and requiring the ordinance calling the special election to state the election date and to specify the format of the question on the ballot as “FOR a casino in [ ] County” and “AGAINST a casino in [ ] County,” and, “The question presented to voters must include whether or not a casino may be located in the county”—“A casino is defined as a facility where casino gaming is conducted”; amending Amendment 100 § 4, to add subsection (t)(4), requiring the county board of election commissioners to publish the ordinance calling the special election as soon as practicable in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the special election is held; amending Amendment 100 § 4, to add subsection (t)(5), requiring a majority of those in the county who vote at the election in certain counties where a future casino is proposed to be located to approve of the casino at the special election before the Arkansas Racing Commission, or other governing body, may accept any applications for a casino license in that county; making this Amendment effective on and after November 13, 2024; providing that the provisions of this Amendment are severable in that if any provision or section of this Amendment or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect any other provision or application that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application; and repealing all laws or parts of laws in conflict with this Amendment.
Arkansas is one of 15 states where citizen groups can with voter petitions put a proposed constitutional amendment, state law, or veto referendum on the ballot.
Constitutional amendments require verified voter signatures from at least 10% of the number of people who voted for governor in the last election, with a certain percentage coming from at least 50 of the state's 75 counties. In 2024, ballot issue groups needed signatures from at least 90,704 voters to qualify for the ballot.
This proposal was included on the statewide ballot distributed by the Secretary of State on Aug. 22 to county election officials. However, the ballot issue's status is uncertain. Opponents filed a lawsuit seeking to remove the proposal from the ballot.
A FOR vote means you are in favor of removing the Pope County casino gaming license from the Arkansas Constitution and, should any future casino licenses be approved by a statewide vote, requiring voters in the county where that casino would be located to approve it.
An AGAINST vote means you are not in favor of removing the Pope County casino gaming license from the Arkansas Constitution or revoking the license any casino gaming license that has been issued for Pope County. You are not in favor of requiring countywide elections in the future to approve a casino should any future casino licenses be approved by a statewide vote.
On Election Day, the ballot will show only the popular name and ballot title of this issue.
Every proposal has more text to it that further describes the proposed law. Read the complete text of Issue 2.
Filings with the Arkansas Ethics Commission
Groups that support or oppose ballot issues are required to register with the Arkansas Ethics Commission as a ballot or legislative question committee once they raise or spend a certain amount of money on their efforts. Visit the Commission's website to view these filings, which include names of people behind a group and how much money has been raised or spent.