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WPRO News and the Associated Press
NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) – Gambling opponents have gathered in Newport to protest the elimination of a city-wide vote on whether to allow table games at a local casino.
Members of Citizens Concerned about Casino Gambling held a rally Tuesday just before the city’s Canvassing Board eliminated a local referendum on table games at the Newport Grand.
Newport voters will still have their say. There is a referendum on the November ballot about adding table games. The votes from Newport will determine whether the community supports or opposes the expansion.
State lawmakers voted to hold a statewide referendum and bar a local vote on the table games plan. Newport voters rejected the proposal in 2012, while it passed statewide.
Casino opponents say the state constitution calls for both statewide and local votes on casino plans.
