A group called Local Voters in Charge collected far more signatures than required to get an amendment on the November ballot that would require local voters to OK any new casinos.

From their press release shared this morning:

Local Voters in Charge has eclipsed the 90,704-voter signature requirement by submitting more than 162,000 signatures to the office of Secretary of State John Thurston. Proposed amendments must also submit a specified minimum number of signatures from at least 50 of Arkansas’ 75 counties. The group said it met this threshold in all 75 Arkansas counties.

The proposed amendment requires that any new casino has to be approved by voters in a
countywide special election before a license can be issued.

This effort by Local Voters in Charge is the latest in the long-running saga over efforts to build a casino in Pope County.

Natalie Ghidotti, vice chair of a group opposed to the ballot measure, fired back Friday, saying the measure was supported by a casino operator who was not awarded a license. Last month, the Arkansas Racing Commission awarded the state’s final casino license to Cherokee Nation Entertainment. Here’s the statement from Ghidotti:

While sufficient signatures may have been turned in, this group — solely backed by a rejected out-of-state casino operator, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma — has spent the last several months lying to Arkansans about the true intent of this ballot initiative

This small group wants you to believe their efforts are about a local vote, but in reality it is about revoking the casino license from Pope County — a license awarded just last week by the state of Arkansas to Cherokee Nation Entertainment. 

Arkansas voters approved Amendment 100 in 2018, and a majority of Pope County voters still stand by that decision. This small group, funded by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is trying to rob Arkansans of thousands of jobs and shut down what will be historic economic growth for the community, region and state.

Local Voters in Charge, the ballot question committee supporting the amendment, has raised $2,450,100, with all but $100 coming from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. 

Investing in Arkansas, the ballot question committee opposing the ballot measure, has raised $775,000, all of which has come from Cherokee Nation Businesses.

Austin Gelder is the editor of the Arkansas Times and loves to write about government, politics and education. Send me your juiciest gossip, please.