Have you ever stood in a line at the grocery store with a six-pack of beer, only to realize that you need to put it back on the shelf because you picked the wrong day of the week to shop for alcohol? It’s because in most places in Arkansas, you can’t buy alcohol on Sundays. A liquor store is looking to change that law in Bryant.
In 1837, Arkansas adopted the law that alcohol sales wouldn’t be allowed on a Sunday. “Blue laws” were repealed in 1982 on the state level, but it has remained commonplace for local entities to have some kind of ordinance that prohibits the sale. It’s only been recent that places like Springdale, Eureka Springs and others in the state have passed ordinances to allow it. Now Bryant has the opportunity to put it on the ballot in the November election.
I spoke with Debbie Goolsby, the owner of CrossRoads Wine & Spirits, and the manager of the store, Mark Halford about a petition they are asking Bryant voters to sign. Halford has been in the liquor store business for about 15 years, so it wasn’t news to him that there is the ability to change this law at the city level. He says one reason cities has done it is because more people are off work on a Sunday.
“Sunday is a busier shopping day and more people are available to make purchases,” stated Halford.
Goolsby said they decided to make a petition after talking to Mayor Jill Dabbs and City Attorney Chris Madison. There is a copy of that petition below.
The petition reads:
T0 the Honorable Sue Ashcraft, City Clerk of Bryant Arkansas
We, the undersigned qualified electors of Bryant, Arkansas respectfully propose the following municipal measure, to wit:
OFF-PREMISES SALE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ON SUNDAY
TO AUTHORIZE THE SALE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES FOR OFF-PREMISES CONSUMPTION ON SUNDAY IN BRYANT, ARKANSAS BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 10 A.M. AND 10:00 P.M.
And by this, our petition, order that the same be submitted to the people of said city, to the end that the same may be adopted, enacted or rejected by the vote of the legal voters of said city at the regular general election to be held in Bryant, Arkansas, on the 6th day of November 2018, and each of us for himself says:
I have personally signed this petition; I am a legal voter of the State of Arkansas, and my printed name, date of birth, residence, city or town of residence and date of signing this petition are correctly written after my signature.
The petition requires a minimum of 1,148 signatures from voters that are registered as living in the city limits of Bryant, according to Goolsby. She said the petition will be turned over to the Bryant City Clerk’s office in early August for the signatures to be verified and counted. If the signatures check out, then the proposed ordinance on the petition will go on the November ballot for Bryant voters to give their yay or nay to the sales of alcohol on a Sunday.
You can sign the petition at liquor stores in Bryant. Goolsby said they are open to people volunteering to pick up pages from the petition and get signatures from registered Bryant voters.