Southeast : Vote on Card Clubs May Get 2nd Chance
An election to decide whether to allow poker clubs in Hawaiian Gardens may take place Nov. 21 after all.
The Court of Appeal on Wednesday ordered a Superior Court judge to reverse his Oct. 20 ruling that blocked the election, citing petition irregularities. Both sides are to appear in court Oct. 30 for a hearing.
Hawaiian Gardens is facing a $1.5-million budget deficit. It is estimated that the city could gain $3 million to $6 million each year from a card club that would sit on the northwest corner of Pioneer Boulevard and Carson Avenue.
The ruling pleased City Atty. Graham Ritchie. “It doesn’t take a lot of thinking to come to the conclusion that if you’re halfway through an election, let it be voted on,” he said.
Attorneys representing the Committee Against Card Club Assns. said they were not surprised by the decision.
The city is among a handful of Southern California communities rushing to decide whether to allow casinos before Jan. 1, when a three-year moratorium on new card casinos goes into effect statewide.
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