Oklahoma: Voters to wait years for full-strength beer at grocery stores after state question passage
Source: Fox23
by: Rick Maranon
Nov 9, 2016
Oklahomans will not see the results of State Question 792 until Oct. 2018.
Legislators say this allows voters and legislators to work out any issues with the quesiton.
State Question 792 was passed in Tuesday’s election.
Even though voters said “yes” to high-point beer and wine in grocery and convenience stores in the Nov. 8 election, it will be years before they will be able to stop by their local gas station and pick up a cold pack of full-strength beer.
FOX23 looked into why it will take time before State Question 792 will be put into action.
State Senator Stephanie Bice, who authored the question, said the legislature will need to finely tune the state statutes that have been changed.
She said 26 Oklahoma counties are still considered “dry” counties. Those counties will need voters to repeal the prohibition-style laws if they want any beer on store shelves in the future.
Some of those counties in Green Country include Adair County, Haskell County, Latimer County and Okfuskee County.
The legislature will need to address what time liquor can be sold in convenience, grocery and liquor stores, and whether or not a cashier will need to be a certain age to handle the products. Another question that has yet to be answered is whether or not children will be allowed into liquor stores, as they will be allowed into the beer aisles of grocery stores.
The Oklahoma Retail Liquor Association, who represents many liquor stores across the state, said it plans to file a lawsuit to challenge the results of Tuesday’s vote.
Proponents of the state question say that the association’s concerns about an uneven playing field will be addressed over the next two years.
More than 900,000 voters cast their ballots in favor of the state question’s passage, while fewer than 500,000 Oklahomans voted against it.
Only five counties voted against the measure, including Leflore County, Adair County, Atoka County, Haskell County and Harmon County.