Casino Group Says No Amendment Needed

The group trying to open Oregon's first non-tribal casino said today, in effect:  "Constitutional amendment? We don't need no stinkin' constitutional amendment!" After months of trying to qualify a pair of measures to the ballot that would put in motion a complex series of legal changes needed in order to open a casino in the Portland suburb of Wood Village, the firm behind the effort was dealt a blow last month when the Oregon Secretary of State's office ruled that the petition that would have changed the Oregon Constitution to allow casinos did not have enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. A companion petition, which enacted the legal framework that would authorize the specific casino in question, did qualify. That will go before voters in November as Measure 75.

The casino backers were trying to overturn the Secretary of State's ruling and get their second measure on the ballot. They were scheduled to make their case in front of a judge in Salem tomorrow. Now, the group says it's a moot point as to whether the constitutional amendment makes the ballot or not. They say the existing measure is enough to do the trick.  The "Good for Oregon" laid out their case in a statement released this morning. Here's an excerpt:

At issue is Article XV, section 4(12) of the Oregon Constitution that was added when the voters authorized the Oregon Lottery and Tribal Casinos: “The Legislative Assembly has no power to authorize, and shall prohibit, casinos from operation in the State of Oregon.”

Greg Chaimov, attorney at Davis, Wright, Tremaine and former chief counsel to the Oregon Legislature, said, “the prohibition authorizing casinos and the requirement to ban casinos  applies to the Legislative Assembly, not to the people.”

Even if this reasoning passes muster in the courts (and you can be sure it will be challenged), the casino backers would still have to get approval from local voters in Wood Village to proceed. The group has scheduled a press conference in the eastern Multnomah County suburb on Thursday in which they plan to roll out their campaign.