R.I. court declines to rule on casino referendum

The R.I. Supreme Court Thursday declined to rule on the casino referendum that is slated to appear on the November ballot.
Governor Donald L. Carcieri and Attorney General Patrick Lynch had requested an advisory opinion earlier this week on the referendum, on whether to allow a Narragansett Indian Tribe casino in West Warwick.
“Serious concerns have been raised that the referendum to amend the Rhode Island constitution to authorize the establishment of a privately-owned and operated casino in West Warwick might itself suffer from two major constitutional flaws,” the governor’s office said. “First … it inappropriately gives the Town of West Warwick and the potential casino operators a constitutional right … that it denies to all other communities and citizens. Second … it gives one Rhode Island community – the Town of West Warwick – veto power over a constitutional amendment.”

“Everyone knows that I have strongly opposed casino gambling in Rhode Island,” Carcieri said at the time. But, he added, “… My primary purpose here is to defend the state constitution and to protect Rhode Islanders …. The people have a right to decide. But it makes no sense to ask them to vote on a question that might be struck down after the vote takes place.”
The referendum measure was approved by the General Assembly shortly before the end of its session. Given the court’s decision not to intervene, is seems likely that Rhode Islanders this fall will get the chance to vote on the hotly-debated casino proposal.

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