Trio of bills would expand alcohol sales, store ownership

Oklahoma legislators are close to expanding several new alcohol laws that voters approved last year.

Representatives unanimously adopted a trio of bills in House committee action Wednesday. The changes would amend provisions included in State Question 792, which passed overwhelmingly in November.

One of the bills would increase the number of liquor stores that a married couple could own. Current state law only allows two stores per couple.

Senate Bill 174, which passed the House Business, Commerce and Tourism Committee, would let spouses have an ownership stake in up to four liquor stores, as long as they aren’t business partners in each other’s enterprise.

“It’s an opportunity to move toward more universal fair marketplace practices,” said state Rep. Glen Mulready, R-Tulsa.

Another bill advanced by the committee would let liquor stores open earlier in the day. Under State Question 792, liquor stores will be allowed to stay open until midnight when the new law takes effect. Senate Bill 411 doesn’t change the closing time, but it does let liquor stores open two hours earlier at 8 a.m.

“It will allow them to more fairly compete with convenience and grocery stores,” said Mulready.

Liquor stores resisted the state question last

year, which allowed convenience and grocery stores to sell cold, highstrength beer and wine. Companies like WalMart spent millions on the campaign.

Bryan Kerr, president of the Retail Liquor Association of Oklahoma, said his group didn’t ask for any of the bills adopted Wednesday.

“That will benefit very few retail package stores, particularly the ones in Norman and Stillwater who (have customers) going to an early game,” said Kerr, who represents liquor stores across the state. “I don’t think opening earlier is going to decrease public safety.”

The association opposed the midnight closing time on public health and safety grounds, he said.

Liquor store owners sued the state last year after the ballot question passed, alleging equal protection violations under the U.S. Constitution. No decision has been reached in the case.

A third bill adopted by the House Business Committee would let county voters choose whether liquor stores can open on Sunday. Senate Bill 211 would require a countywide vote initiated by the county commission or by 15 percent of registered voters signing a petition.

Mulready said the idea could have been included in State Question 792, but the language was left out of the final bill so that it could be considered this year.

Kerr said that measure would only work to spread out expenses and profit over a sevenday span, rather than the current six days a week that liquor stores can do business.

He also criticized lawmakers for saying the bills help even the playing field between liquor stores and their busier competitors like convenience and grocery stores.

“They’re doing no such thing,” he said. “It’s about trying to deceive the public into thinking their intention with the (state question) wasn’t to help WalMart, and it does.”