Supreme Court

Cite as 2018 Ark. 255

SUPREME COURT OF ARKANSAS

No. cv-18-731

Respondent, Mark Martin, Arkansas Secretary of State, certified a proposed initiated constitutional amendment with the popular name “An Amendment to Require Four Licenses to be Issued for Casino Gaming at Casinos, One Each in Crittenden (to Southland Racing Corporation), Garland (to Oaklawn Jockey Club, Inc.), Pope, and Jefferson Counties” to be placed on the November 6, 2018 general election ballot. On September 10, 2018, Petitioners, Judith Stiritz, Billy Carroll Wheeler, Kenneth Ray Carney, and Bobby Gene Smith, individually and on behalf of Ensuring Arkansas’ Future, a ballot question committee, filed an original action in this court, pursuant to article 5, section 1 of the Arkansas Constitution, as amended by amendment 7 to the Arkansas Constitution, challenging the proposed amendment. In Count I, Petitioners challenge the sufficiency of the popular name certified by Respondent. Count II challenges the sufficiency of the ballot title certified by Respondent. Petitioners also filed motions for an expedited scheduling order, for consecutive briefing, and for oral argument. Respondent filed responses to the original-action petition as well as to the related motions. 

We grant Petitioners’ motions for expedited consideration and consecutive briefing, and we set the expedited briefing schedules as follows.  Petitioners’ brief is due by 4:30 p.m. on September 19, 2018; response briefs by Respondent and any potential intervenors are due by 4:30 p.m. on September 26, 2018; Petitioners’ reply brief is due by 4:30 p.m. on September 28, 2018.

Motions for expedited consideration, scheduling order, and consecutive briefing granted; motion for oral argument denied.

It is so ordered.