OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Voters are another step closer to being able to weigh in on whether they want to relax the state’s liquor laws and allow grocery and convenience stores to sell wine and strong beer under legislation approved Wednesday by an Oklahoma House panel.
But retail package liquor store owners still hope to block the proposed constitutional change, which has already passed the Senate and was shipped to the full House on a 6-3 vote without debate.
“It’s a very difficult fight,” said Bryan Kerr, owner of Moore Liquor in Moore and president of the Retail Liquor Association of Oklahoma. Kerr estimated that half of Oklahoma’s 680 locally owned retail package stores will be forced to shut down if grocery and convenience stores are allowed to sell wine and strong beer.
“There’s so much money and influence from the other side of this argument,” Kerr said. “We’re all local business owners. Our resources are limited. Our time is limited.”
Currently, liquor, wine and strong beer are sold only at licensed package stores, which are strictly regulated and closed Sundays. Oklahoma allows refrigerated low-point beer to be sold at grocery and convenience stores until 2 a.m. and on Sundays.
Tulsa Republican Rep. Glen Mulready, who sponsors the measure, says 42 other states already allow the sale of strong beer and wine in grocery stores. He also notes that a variety of other changes in state liquor laws are in the constitutional amendment and related legislation, including altering operating hours and days for package liquor stores and permitting them to sell refrigerated beer and non-alcoholic items that are now prohibited, like corkscrews and can openers.
Kerr called the proposed changes “a red herring” and said they are similar to liquor guidelines in Texas.
“No Texas liquor store makes its money off of corkscrews and limes,” he said.
Supporters of the measure praised it moving to the House. Brett Robinson, president of the Beer Distributors of Oklahoma, said the measure “is a realistic, broad-based alcohol modernization initiative” that will increase consumer choice and convenience and “modernize Oklahoma’s archaic alcohol beverage laws in an equitable, safe and responsible manner.”
Oklahomans for Consumer Freedom spokesman Tyler Moore said the group is “confident voters will express their support for modern alcohol laws.”
If approve, the measure will be on the Nov. 8 ballot.
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Online:
Senate Joint Resolution 68: https://bit.ly/24zHn7p
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