After Missouri state officers lately rejected a petition effort to permit voters to determine on the potential for a on line casino on the Lake of the Ozarks, backers of the plan filed a lawsuit final week arguing that they certainly collected sufficient.
The Osage River Gaming & Convention Committee is in search of to have the Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s® ruling on the problem overturned. Ashcroft’s workplace dominated that the petition lacked 2,031 signatures wanted within the 2nd Congressional District.
Disagreement Over Acceptable Signatures
To get on the poll, a petition should embody signatures from 8% of authorized voters in every of two-thirds of the state’s eight congressional districts. Backers obtained sufficient within the different districts, in line with the secretary of state’s workplace.
However, Osage River Gaming alleged that 2,500 signatures have been rejected within the district that ought to have been accepted.
“Verifying every signature on multiple initiative petitions this summer has been a very long process for election officials and we realize mistakes happen,” the group famous in an announcement. “However, (Osage River Gaming & Convention) has always been confident their initiative petition contained a sufficient number of valid signatures from legal voters to qualify for placement on the Nov. 5 general election ballot and are now asking the court to do so.”
The on line casino plan is backed by Bally’s Corp. and native actual property developer Gary Prewitt. The two have spent $2.1 million spearheading the on line casino push. Supporters say the on line casino would generate as many as 800 jobs and appreciable tax income to the state and space, which is certainly one of Missouri’s prime vacationer locations.
The Missouri structure at present solely permits casinos solely alongside the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and limits the state to 13 casinos. While the on line casino petition was rejected, a petition that will legalize sports activities betting was permitted and voters will weigh in on that situation in November.
