County Commissioners approve seeking more info about seven-days-a-week liquor sales

For the second straight week, the LeFlore County Commissioners had a meeting regarding seven-days-a-week liquor sales by retail spirit license owners during their weekly meeting, which took place Monday morning at the LeFlore County Court House.

At Monday morning’s meeting, not only did Northside Liquor Store owner Pat Gillham attend as she did last Tuesday morning’s meeting, about 20 other retail liquor store owners, Oklahoma Retail Liquor Association representative Dirk Van Den and local attorney Glenn Thompson did also.

Gillham once more made her request known to put the measure up for vote of the people of LeFlore County.

Thompson told the board while the County Commissioners do not have the power to put such a measure into law, the board can let the democratic process take its course and allow the general public to vote on the measure.

Van Den then told the board a similar situation happened in Cherokee County, in which the local voters approved such a measure in 2020.

After the discussion took place, the County Commissioners themselves shared their thoughts on the matter. District 3 Commissioner Jamie

Oliver’s viewpoint was that if he voted either no or yes to have the board approve a special election, he would not be truly letting his constituents’ opinions be heard, which included getting enough registered voters to sign a petition desiring a special election on the measure take place. It would take 1,821 signatures — or 15 percent of the general county voters who voted in the November general election (12,141) — on the petition to get the measure put to a vote.

District 1 County Commissioner Vallard Campbell III shared the same thoughts.

The initial agenda item was for the board to approve the measure be put on the ballot for a special election, but no motion was made — thus the motion died.

However, Oliver’s motion about seeking petition signatures got seconded by Campbell III. While Oliver and Campbell voted for the new motion, District 2 Commissioner and Board Chairman Cody Covey voted against it, but the motion still passed two votes to one. Covey shared his thoughts, which namely was that should such legislation pass, an individual(s) purchase liquor, drive a vehicle and hit and kill a pedestrian(s) or passengers in another vehicle that his conscience would have a hard time dealing with that.

Both Oliver and Thompson said they would make contact with new LeFlore County District Attorney Kevin Merritt about the matter. Gillham asked if any decision would be rendered at next Monday morning’s meeting, and the board told her that could not be guaranteed. She said that she plans on coming to each week’s meeting until such a decision gets rendered.

At last Tuesday morning’s meeting, Gillham spoke to the board regarding the topic, which is stemming from the potential legislation that Walmart and its lobbyists are pushing that would allow the nationwide retail store to sell liquor — namely on Sundays, which currently retail spirit license owners cannot do. Gillham asked the County Commissioners to have the item come before voters in a special election.

During that meeting, Gillham shared a video clip to Campbell III, who shortly after seeing it made a motion to approve the measure come before voters. However, after about 30 to 60 seconds of silence awaiting either Covey or Oliver to seconded Campbell III’s motion, no seconded motion came — thus the motion died.

However, Oliver then made a motion to table the measure, which was seconded by Covey and unanimously approved.

In other items handled by the board in Monday morning’s meeting, the board approved a resolution to appoint Kellie Christenberry as the new LeFlore County First Deputy Treasurer replacing the retired Sherri Smith, whose last day on the job was Dec. 30.

The County Commissioners also approved the re-appointment of DeWade Shatswell to the LeFlore County Solid Waste Board, the resignation letter of Billy Thompson from the LeFlore County Fair Board and a $600 transfer of appropriations in the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Department from a budgeted account to a travel account.