AG Griffin approves proposal to repeal Pope County casino license

Attorney General Tim Griffin on Wednesday (March 20) modified and approved a potential constitutional amendment that would allow Arkansas voters to repeal a Pope County casino license that has been the subject of controversy for nearly six years.

Griffin reworked the popular name of the proposed constitutional amendment to read:

“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.”

The proposal would alter Amendment 100, passed by voters in 2018, that set up four casino licenses across the state: Garland County, Crittenden County, Jefferson County and Pope County. Oaklawn Jockey Club owns the license in Garland County; Southland Racing Corp. owns the license in Crittenden County; and Saracen Development LLC owns the newly constructed casino in Jefferson County.

Lawsuits and legal challenges to the issuance of the casino license in Pope County have gummed up the application process for years.

In addition to removing the casino license provision in Pope County, the new amendment proposal would require the quorum court of each county where a casino is to be located to call a special election to submit the question of whether to approve of a possible casino in the county. It would also require a majority of those in the county who vote at the election 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.”

Voters in Pope County did not vote in favor of Amendment 100 in 2018, and there has been significant opposition to the casino locally over the years.

The three existing casino licenses are exempt from the proposal, effectively grandfathered in. The proposed amendment also revokes a license if the Racing Commission issues one before voters might approve this amendment proposal.

The Arkansas Racing Commission is in the midst of reissuing its application process for a Pope County casino.

With Griffin’s approval, supporters of the measure, a group known as Local Voters in Charge, can begin to collect over 90,000 signatures to qualify for the November ballot. You can read Griffin’s letter at this link.