NWA EDITORIAL: Big decisions

Based on this week's deadline for filing petitions, Arkansas voters may get to consider growing the casino business in Arkansas as well some political crapshoots when they vote in the Nov. 3 election.

We almost wrote "when they go to the polls" in November, but we're betting a lot of Arkansans have the good sense to cast absentee ballots in this year's election. That option's likely to be available now that Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Secretary of State John Thurston and the heads of Arkansas' two major political parties have gotten comfortable that a pandemic is reason enough under state law to opt for absentee voting.

Monday was the deadline for canvassers on a variety of issues to submit their collected signatures to the state as they attempt to secure a spot on the ballot. Unfortunately, the group pushing a constitutional amendment to remove Pope County as a location for a casino under 2018's Amendment 100 failed to submit. If there was ever a county population that's ambivalent about hosting a gambling operation, it's in Pope County. The legal fight over who will get to build and operate a casino there will continue.

Unfortunately for the rest of Arkansas, it appears a measure to expand casino gambling in the state may make the ballot. Taylor Riddle, spokesman for the Arkansas Wins in 2020 Committee, says "we have spoken with voters across the state who are excited about expanding the gaming industry in Arkansas." What else would he say? And it's probably the truth, although we suspect there's a fair share of people expressing ideas to the contrary. Riddle and his committee members probably don't hang out with those Arkansans much.

If their measure makes the ballot, Arkansans should unquestionably vote against it.

It's the most awful kind of amendment, the kind that incorporates into our Arkansas Constitution specific, named corporations that will then have a constitutional right to operate the casinos. That's bad, bad public policy.

Even Arkansans who support the concept of more casinos should run from this proposal, which uses the amendment process to predetermine which businesses will milk Arkansas residents and visitors dry. It will set up 16 casinos in 14 counties and specifies which companies will get the licenses.

The counties affected include plenty in the Northwest Arkansas area: Boone (Boone County Gaming LLC), Johnson (Clarksville Gaming Associates LLC), Sebastian (Fort Smith Gaming Associates LLC), Washington (Fayetteville Gaming Associates LLC) and Benton (G-First Ark Gaming LLC). Each of the limited liability companies lists Little Rock lawyer Todd Wooten as incorporator/organizer.

Wooten's comment when the Democrat-Gazette first reported on the measure? "We have no comment at this time."

It's bad business, folks. We'll keep reminding everyone between now and November. If you agree, inform your friends starting now.

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What else might voters have a chance to decide? How about a shift in the way Arkansans elect their federal representatives in Congress, their state legislators and constitutional offices such as governor, attorney general and the like?

Here's how our reporter described it early this week: In each race, the four candidates with the most votes in the open primary would then advance to the general election. In the general election, voters would rank their preferred candidates one through four. If no candidate wins an outright majority in the general election, then the candidate with the fewest voters would be eliminated, and those voters' second and third choices would be added to the remaining candidates' tallies until someone obtained the majority threshold.

It's an intriguing notion, but not without questions, such as: Does it make sense that the second-place votes of the voters who favored the least-liked candidate suddenly become potentially deciding factor of who wins? Does that shift more voting power to people, on the basis of the first-place votes, are farther outside the mainstream of Arkansas voters?

This measure gives us all a lot more to ponder between now and the casting of our 2020 ballots.

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Republic Party Chairman Doyle Webb gave a robust argument against the next measure, in which the Arkansas Voters First Committee hopes to shift authority for drawing legislative and congressional district boundaries to a nine-member, supposedly independent commission of three Democrats, three Republicans and three independents.

Webb pointed out a pertinent fact: For decades when Democrats held most of those state- and federal-level offices, nobody complained about who drew up the political boundaries. Now, in 2021 when boundaries are set to be redrawn according to the 2020 census figures, Republicans are likely to hold most if not all of those offices. He smells a rat, asserting Democrats now want a new approach.

"Now the method does not work for them. Why?," Webb said. "Perhaps because for the first time since Reconstruction there will be Republican elected officials making those decisions."

It's pretty hard to dispute Webb's evaluation, even if there might be other reasons an independent commission could be considered reasonable. Republicans in other states have provided ample evidence of sometimes ridiculous gerrymandering to ensure they create or protect their majorities.

From our perspective, gerrymandering is an affront to democracy whether it's Democrats or Republicans doing it. Both parties should respect the voting rights of Arkansans.

But is it right to change the process now just because Republicans will get a chance to redraw the boundaries?

There are still state certification processes and legal challenges before we know for sure which of these proposals will make the Nov. 3 ballot and be given a chance. Voters should pay close attention and engage in the discussion because each proposal represents big changes for the state of Arkansas and its future.