Missouri Casino Plan Put Back On November BallotJudge Orders Vote After Determining Petition Had Enough Signatures |
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After a lawsuit by backers of a casino for the Lake of the Ozarks area, a Missouri judge has put the issue back on the November ballot after a petition was initially rejected by state officials.
The move comes after a lawsuit was filed in late August arguing that the petition did secure the correct number of signatures to be on the ballot. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft® initially reported that the state’s 2nd Congressional District came up 2,031 signatures short of being placed on the ballot. However, he conceded as court hearings got underway last week.
The Osage River Gaming and Convention group, which is backing the casino plan and made up of the Osage Nation, Bally’s Corp., and local real estate developer Gary Prewitt, was pleased to see the issue now being put before voters.
“Today is a victory for the initiative petition process and for voters who will benefit from our proposed development at the Lake of the Ozarks,” the group said in a statement after the ruling.
Osage River Gaming and Convention found additional valid signatures after reviewing the petitions again. Chuck Hatfield, an attorney representing the group, told the court that verifying petition signatures can be “a massive, messy process that does not always produce perfect results.”
The Missouri constitution currently only allows casinos only along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and limits the state to 13 casinos. The plan would allow for one additional casino if approved by voters for the Lake of the Ozarks area. Supporters say the casino would generate as many as 800 jobs and considerable tax revenue to the state and area, which is one of Missouri’s top tourist destinations.
Voters will also decide whether to allow for legalized sports betting after a petition backed by the state’s professional sports team was also put on the ballot.
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