Arkansas’ high Court rejects casino push

The Supreme Court of Arkansas rejected an attempt to force the Attorney General to approve and certify a ballot title.

US.- The Arkansas Supreme Court rejected this week an effort to force Attorney General Leslie Rutledge to approve and certify the ballot title that would allow a public vote on expanded gambling.

The group Driving Arkansas Forward had sued Attorney General Leslie Rutledge after she rejected the wording to the proposed constitutional amendment four times. The group wants to introduce a proposal on the November ballot that would legalise gambling in Jefferson and Pope counties, while also allowing casinos at the Oaklawn horse track in Hot Springs and at the Southland greyhound track in West Memphis.

Nicole Ryan, a spokeswoman for Rutledge, said: “Attorney General Rutledge is pleased that the Supreme Court agreed with her argument and denied the petition from Driving Arkansas Forward. Recently, the Supreme Court has set a very high bar for proposals to be determined as sufficiently clear to appear on the ballot, and it is the attorney general’s responsibility to ensure that voters fully understand what exactly a ‘for’ or ‘against’ vote means.”

On the other hand, the group’s spokesman Aaron Sadler said that they are disappointed by the Court’s decision as they believe that voters deserve an opportunity to be heard on a matter that would support Arkansas highways and create jobs for communities in need. “In the meantime, we will continue working to address the attorney general’s concerns so that we can begin collecting signatures as soon as possible,” he said.