BENTON, AR — In November you will get to decide if alcohol can be sold in every county in Arkansas.
The proposed Arkansas Alcohol Beverage Amendment needed just more than 78,000 valid signatures to make the ballot.
Today, the Secretary of State confirming there’s more than 87,000.
Supporters say that shows the state is ready for change.
Right now, counties control prohibition of alcohol.
If voters pass this amendment, that would no longer be case.
37 counties in the state — that are now dry — would become wet.
Saline County being one of them.
Luigi’s Pizza and Pasta — in Benton — is one of a handful of places with a private club license, so the owner buys his alcohol out of the county to sell it.
Supporters of the amendment say that’s why Saline — and other counties — are losing out on sales tax by being dry.
But others are concerned alcohol sales could lead to liquor stores on every corner and more crime.
Shelli Russell with mysaline.com said, “It will keep business owners like Luigi’s able to take a delivery inside the county instead of taking their little truck down to the county line and picking it up himself.”
Jennifer Gamble, a Saline County resident, said, “I also have two small children, you have to look out for and their future and other places seem to have a lot of bars and liquor stores.”
The Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage amendment will appear as Issue Number Four on the ballot.
There’s still time to register to vote for the November election.
The deadline is October 6th.
For more information, go to the Arkansas Secretary of State’s webpage by clicking here.
If you would like to follow Melissa Schroeder’s reports on Facebook, you can click here and like her page.
The proposed Arkansas Alcohol Beverage Amendment needed just more than 78,000 valid signatures to make the ballot.
Today, the Secretary of State confirming there’s more than 87,000.
Supporters say that shows the state is ready for change.
Right now, counties control prohibition of alcohol.
If voters pass this amendment, that would no longer be case.
37 counties in the state — that are now dry — would become wet.
Saline County being one of them.
Luigi’s Pizza and Pasta — in Benton — is one of a handful of places with a private club license, so the owner buys his alcohol out of the county to sell it.
Supporters of the amendment say that’s why Saline — and other counties — are losing out on sales tax by being dry.
But others are concerned alcohol sales could lead to liquor stores on every corner and more crime.
Shelli Russell with mysaline.com said, “It will keep business owners like Luigi’s able to take a delivery inside the county instead of taking their little truck down to the county line and picking it up himself.”
Jennifer Gamble, a Saline County resident, said, “I also have two small children, you have to look out for and their future and other places seem to have a lot of bars and liquor stores.”
The Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage amendment will appear as Issue Number Four on the ballot.
There’s still time to register to vote for the November election.
The deadline is October 6th.
For more information, go to the Arkansas Secretary of State’s webpage by clicking here.
If you would like to follow Melissa Schroeder’s reports on Facebook, you can click here and like her page.
