Petition Process For Casino Proposal Like ‘Obstacle Course,’ Lawyer Says

An attorney for casino proponent Nancy Todd argued Thursday before the Arkansas Supreme Court that her ballot petition process has been turned into “an obstacle course,” according to this report from John Lyon with Arkansas News.

Attorneys for the state and an opponent of the casino proposal say the ballot title is legally insufficient and have asked the state’s high court to declare the measure invalid.

The proposal, led by professional poker player Nancy Todd, would allow casinos in Crittenden, Franklin, Miller and Pulaski counties.

Todd altered her ballot title to include language that would permit existing electronic games of skill operations at Oaklawn and Southland to not be affected by her measure. The language in that would-be fix is the crux of the argument before the court.

The measure has been certified for the ballot because of the appeal, but if the court rejects the appeal it could order that any votes it receives not be counted, Lyon reports.

Click here for access to his full article, which includes questions brought forward by several Supreme Court justices and the responses from attorneys representing all sides.