Why You Should Vote for Issue 2 (Hans Stiritz Commentary)

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Editor’s note: After this week’s edition of Arkansas Business went to press, the Arkansas Supreme Court rejected the final part of a challenge to Issue 2, clearing the way for votes to be counted on the Nov. 5 ballot initiative.

Say it’s time to paint your house. Who should choose the color? Your family? The mayor? Well, it’s your home. You have to look at it every day. And if it’s ugly, you have to live with it. Easy — your family should decide.

Now suppose a statewide amendment places casinos in several counties, including yours, but your county voters overwhelmingly reject that amendment. Should that statewide vote force an unwanted casino into your hometown, or should local voters have the final say?

Sadly, this is no hypothetical. It’s exactly what Pope County has faced for six years. An out-of-state casino operator is trying to force its way into a community where 61% of the voters rejected casino authorization. Since then, that operator has plowed compliant politicians with so much political money that sitting elected officials now shill for the casino owners in ads against Issue 2.

Picture that. When a sitting county judge appears in ads cheerleading for a casino that his constituents rejected, what further proof is needed that we can’t trust politicians and that we need voters providing some prudent oversight? After all, voters aren’t influenced by political contributions from gambling interests.

Issue 2 is not complicated or controversial. It simply requires that no casino approved by the state can move forward until voters in that county approve that casino.

It ensures no other county in Arkansas will experience what Pope County has endured.

And yes, because Pope County voters rejected the casino, the authorization for a casino that is not yet built is removed from the constitution. After all our state motto is Regnat Populus — the People Rule.

Opponents say the Issue 2 campaign is funded by “out-of-state billionaires.”

Disingenuous: BOTH the FOR and AGAINST campaigns are funded by out-of-state tribal gambling interests. One supports local voters, and one wants to silence them. Further, Amendment 100 was fully paid for by out-of-state casinos in the first place so they could pocket Arkansas licenses.

Opponents say that Issue 2 will cost the state jobs and revenue. False: because Issue 2 does not affect existing casino operations in Arkansas.

The real question voters should ask is this: If Issue 2 opponents think their casino is such a good idea, why are they afraid to put it to local voters?

So who should vote FOR Issue 2, and who should vote against it?

If you oppose gambling, or think Arkansas has enough casinos, you should vote FOR Issue 2.

If you want more casinos, but believe they should only be located in communities that want them, you should vote FOR Issue 2.

In fact, the only people who should vote AGAINST Issue 2 are those who want more casinos and don’t think local voters should have a voice in the matter.

Issue 2 doesn’t just fix Pope County’s problem. With common sense and justice, it protects every Arkansas community from a similar predicament, by putting local voters in charge. I urge you to vote FOR Issue 2.

Hans Stiritz is a member of Local Voters in Charge, the ballot question committee for Issue 2.