Arkansas $250M Casino Project in Hot Water

Arkansas’ Pope County’s outgoing judge, Jim Ed Gibson, has reportedly signed off on plans for a construction of a brand-new $250 million casino – and his successor, Ben Cross, who took over his duties on January 1st, is baffled and stunned by the decision that he says is completely against voters’ wishes.

Two days before leaving the office, judge Gibson penned his letter to the Arkansas Racing Commission in which he ed the plans for the construction of the Mississippi Gulfside Casino in Russelville.

The memo of for the project was also signed by Russelville mayor, Randy Horton. In November, Arkansas voters approved the new casino licensing process for Jefferson and Pope Counties…

…However:

There is an amendment that gives local leaders the power to decide on the fate of casino licenses. And while the state voters may have voted in favor, on local county elections in Pope County, the casino legislation was rejected by a 60%-40% vote.

Against the Demands of People?

Despite the ambitious project’s creation of more than 1,500 new jobs and generating millions of dollars in taxes revenue, whilst improving the country’s infrastructure and standard of living, as evidenced by Gulfside’s co-owner, Terry Green…

…the new Pope County judge is shocked that his predecessor took these steps to unilaterally make a decision that is quite the opposite of what the voters in the county voted for.

He stated in an interview with KATV News:

“It is with great discouragement and dismay to have learned of the actions of the current county judge in regards to the casino issue. To have a lame duck official act in total disregard to the express wishes of the residents of Pope County is appalling and a complete affront to our representative democracy.”

The issue here is that the decision to go ahead with the casino plans has come from an official no longer in power – despite the fact that Cross promised to deliver the wishes of the majority of voters who don’t want a casino, he will have a hard time reverting an executive decision of this sort.

Legal Battle Ensuing

Local developers have already launched a website for the casino which is expected to open in fall 2020.

There is a legal battle on the horizon between the pro and anti casino sides, with questions needing answering, such as whether does judge Gibson’s approval has any merit and does it carry any weight now that his term has ended and whether new judge Cross can overturn this approval.

The state’s regulatory body, Arkansas Racing Commission, has already began sketching the new casino legislation following the outcome of the mid-term elections and the fate of gambling expansion.

The deadline for the approval of the new legislation if March 14th…

…but with these most recent developments, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it completely halted until these controversial matters are detangled first.

Source:

“$250 million casino proposal for Pope Country stirs controversy”, katv.com, December 31, 2018.