On December 3rd a district court judge in Covington has scheduled a trial to determine whether a proposed Slidell casino measure can remain on the ballot for the Dec. 11 election in St. Tammany Parish.
Judge John Keller will hear arguments regarding the constitutionality of the proposition, which has been challenged by a group aligned against the proposed Northshore entertainment venue.
People supporting and against the proposed $325 million Camellia Bay resort near Slidell have spent a lot of money advertising over the past several weeks.
Opponents to the project have been saying for months that the state constitution requires a straight up or down parish-wide vote on a casino before a site-specific vote is taken.
Keller previously ruled that the legality of the measure should be determined after voters cast ballots on Dec. 11. But his decision was reversed by an appellate court, which remanded the matter back to Keller’s courtroom with orders to decide the matter before the election.
Attorneys for the St. Tammany Parish government filed a motion Monday asking the Louisiana Supreme Court to intervene and decide the matter for the lower courts.
Even though it is still unsettled in the courts, early voting on this issue begins Saturday and runs through Dec. 4, excluding Sunday, Nov. 28.
