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A federal judge is expected to rule Tuesday on a bid to block the November statewide referendum on the Narragansett Indian Tribe's proposed casino in West Warwick.
The Town of Johnston and its own prospective casino partner, Ajax Gaming Ventures LLC, had filed a lawsuit July 21 in U.S. District Court, Providence, asking the court “to restrain the [R.I.] Secretary of State from placing on the statewide ballot … the Resolution passed by the R.I. General Assembly for a Casino in West Warwick to be owned and operated by the Narragansett Indian Tribe and its ‘chosen partner.’ ”
Time is short, as ballots for the election are due to go to press in just a few days. Sample ballots already are available for viewing in the R.I. Voter Information Center on www.ri.gov, a service of the office of the secretary of state.
The referendum measure – asking whether to amend the state constitution to allow a Narragansett Indian Tribe casino in West Warwick – was approved by the General Assembly shortly before the end of its session.
Early last month, Gov. Donald L. Carcieri and Atty. Gen. Patrick J. Lynch had requested an advisory opinion on the referendum from the R.I. Supreme Court. Their complaint alleged “two major constitutional flaws,” the governor’s office said: “First ... [the measure] 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.” On July 13, however, the R.I. Supreme Court declined to hear their case.
Now Johnston and Ajax Gaming are making similar claims.
Ajax Gaming previously had partnered with Trump Entertainment for the Johnston venture, but Trump spokesman Tom Hickey said that relationship had lapsed at the end of June. The company chose “not to pursue this development at this time,” Hickey said, “because the process the state has set up does not provide for competitive bidding.”
Ajax is wholly owned by developer David Nunes, Hickey said, and no longer has any connection to Trump.
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