In the heart of Pope County, Arkansas, the wheels of fate are spinning as the local citizenry stands poised to cast their votes in a deeply contentious referendum. Secretary of State John Thurston’s office heralded the news that a campaign, which could dramatically reshuffle the deck of the state’s gaming industry, garnered a sufficiency of signatures to place a citizen-backed measure on the ballot come November 5th.
The storm centers on a disputed casino license recently awarded to the Cherokee Nation by the Arkansas Racing Commission. Two tribal entities, locked in a fierce showdown reminiscent of historical feuds, have their fortunes hanging in the balance. The Cherokees, leveraging judicial support from local authorities, emerged victorious in securing the rights to develop a $300 million treasure trove – Legends Resort & Casino. Their adversary, the Mississippi-based Gulfside Casino Partnership, cries foul, alleging under-handed tactics excluded them from fair contention.
The plot thickens as Local Voters in Charge, an advocacy group fueled by the financial prowess of the Choctaw Nation, also of Oklahoma, has marshaled over 162,000 signatures, far surpassing the threshold of 90,704 needed to advance their quest. The referendum, if successful, would not only scuttle the Cherokee’s grand casino visions but also mandate a countywide plebiscite as a precondition for granting any new casino licenses.
Yet, the Cherokee Nation is not retreating quietly into the night. Through Allison Burum, their spokesperson, they have unveiled a counteroffensive, unearthing alleged irregularities in the referendum’s canvassing procedures. Their lawsuit pendulous before the Arkansas Supreme Court, accuses Local Voters in Charge of underhand strategies, including bribery for signatures and deceptive presentation of the referendum’s real intent.
Despite the legal maelstrom, campaign war chests on both sides are brimming, with the Cherokees pouring close to a million dollars into ‘Investing in Arkansas’ while their adversaries, riding high on a $1.5 million cash reserve, bolstered by a hefty $3.8 million expenditure for the referendum’s signature collection, are not shying away from the battle.
Pope County, a bastion of resistance amongst the seventy-five counties of Arkansas, had previously repudiated the statewide decree endorsing commercial gambling in 2018 — a mandate that metamorphosed Southland and Oaklawn racinos into full-fledged gaming coliseums replete with slot machines, dealer tables, and sports wagering arenas, while simultaneously sowing the seeds for new casino births in Pope and Jefferson counties.
As November inches closer, the electorate of Pope County stand guardians of their prerogative. A resonance of their state’s motto, ‘Regnat Populus,’— ‘The People Rule,’ echoes through the unfolding saga, as Hans Stiritz, a voice for Local Voters in Charge, reminds us, “Arkansas voters have stated the obvious — casinos should not be forced into communities that do not want them.” Will they indeed reaffirm their dominion over the high stakes of casino gambling on Election Day? The cards are dealt, and the table is set for a showdown where the very soul of Pope County’s future is the ultimate prize.
