ABC ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR SAYS WAL-MART AND OTHER STORE CHAINS ARE REASON THAT DRY COUNTIES ARE TRYING TO GO WET
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| WALMART WANTS YOU TO DRINK SAYS THE ABC |
Bud Roberts, the director of Alcoholic Beverage Control Administration, told a reporter last week that attempts at alcohol sales measures are on the increase because major store chains are pursuing alcohol revenue.
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| GARY "BUD" RAY ROBERTS - DIRECTOR ABC ADMINISTRATION |
"Any county that contains a Walmart will have good interest," he said. "It makes good business sense."
Of Arkansas' 75 counties, 39 allow alcohol sales, or are "wet," he said.
The state's counties that are "dry" usually voted to ban alcohol sales in the 1930s or 1940s. Local lore in several counties has been that women voted to "go dry" when men were off to war and were unable to vote on the measures, Roberts said.
"Alcohol will always be controversial in the South," Roberts said. "There seems to be a considerable push against it from the churches. People have strong opinions about it on either side."
He said that in the past when he was approached by petitioners, they would ask first if he was a resident of the county in which petitioners were gathering signatures.
"Now they ask if I am interested in whatever issue they were talking about," Roberts said. "That may be one reason why these issues are failing."
Tainted ABC Enforcement Director Boyce Hamlet is chomping at the bit to have more stores sell alcoholic beverages so that he and his crack team of elite agents can wear their commando gear while they sit in their cars and send a kid into the store to try and buy beer.
Of Arkansas' 75 counties, 39 allow alcohol sales, or are "wet," he said.
The state's counties that are "dry" usually voted to ban alcohol sales in the 1930s or 1940s. Local lore in several counties has been that women voted to "go dry" when men were off to war and were unable to vote on the measures, Roberts said.
"Alcohol will always be controversial in the South," Roberts said. "There seems to be a considerable push against it from the churches. People have strong opinions about it on either side."
He said that in the past when he was approached by petitioners, they would ask first if he was a resident of the county in which petitioners were gathering signatures.
"Now they ask if I am interested in whatever issue they were talking about," Roberts said. "That may be one reason why these issues are failing."
Tainted ABC Enforcement Director Boyce Hamlet is chomping at the bit to have more stores sell alcoholic beverages so that he and his crack team of elite agents can wear their commando gear while they sit in their cars and send a kid into the store to try and buy beer.
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| ABC ENFORCEMENT - THE LEAST ELITE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IN ARKANSAS |