Conflict over beer and wine sales in OK

by Sara Ritsch
Staff Writer

Yet another case of big businesses vs. small, local businesses – and this time, the stakes are high, depending on who you ask. How and where will the citizens of Oklahoma get their high-point beer and wine?

As of right now, the law on the books says any beverage containing over 3.2 percent alcohol by weight or four percent alcohol by volume (ABV) may only be sold in licensed liquor stores, but at room temperature.

This limits the locale, the quality, the options and the accessibility of ‘good’ beer and wine. Unless you’re an Anheuser Busch person, in which case, you’re in the right place. These laws are quite similar to that of Kansas and quite the contrast to the lax laws of Missouri, two more states in The Gayly’s region.

However, one bill is on the November 8 ballot this year to change this, and one other bill is being petitioned for addition to the ballot. The one on ballot, State Question 792, would make beer and wine widely accessible – but to the benefit of big businesses.

The one up for petition, State Question 791, is quite similar, but would aid the readily established local liquor stores andallow for the sale of beer and wine in other establishments. Best of both worlds, maybe.

As quoted in the Oklahoma Secretary of State summary, “This measure [791] permits licensees that currently hold licenses to sell low-point beer to sell all beer and malt beverages. It allows grocery stores and supercenters to obtain licenses to sell wine up to 14 percent alcohol by volume (ABV)....

“It allows small brewers to sell their products at additional locations...It permits Retail Package Store licensees to sell items that are sold in convenience and grocery stores up to 30 percent of gross monthly sales.

“It limits sales of beer and wine by Retail Beer and Retail Grocery Wine Store licensees to 30 percent of gross monthly sales.”

For a clearer explanation of the bill on petition, Chris Hancock, owner of Freeman’s Liquor Mart, stepped in. He said that 791 was put forth by a liquor association in order to ease the hit on small businesses once liquor stores approach antiquity.

“Both bills would allow cold, refrigerated beer in liquor stores, convenience stores and grocery stores. We don’t have any problem with that as long as we can refrigerate also, and it’s a level playing ground.”

State question 792 has been said to create an uneven playing field, putting big retail package stores at an unfair advantage. The bill, which has been opposed by the Retail Liquor Association of Oklahoma, would force many small liquor stores in the state to close.

“A lot of people behind it [792] are big businesses, people putting money into that and the contributions they’ve made,” Hancock said. “On Cue, 7/11, big corporations. Then there’s the people like us that are small business people. It’s a David and Goliath thing.

“There’s more going on here than cold beer and wine in grocery stores. They’re looking at changing the distribution system in the state, forcing out small distributors and leaving big distributors in control of everything. That’s actually where all the money is in this and all the money is being put into this. It’s the distribution changes.”

However, Mike Thornbrugh with QuikTrip expects the bill already on ballot, SQ 792, to enhance business “regardless of size.”

“What [State Question 792] does, and why QuikTrip is involved, is because the consumer really wants the change. One, it gives businesses the opportunity to meet the customers’ demands and needs. Two, in the current law, we can’t sell new, great breweries’ products and support their business. We can get beers the customer wants, and we’re convinced it’ll help the economy.”

He continued, saying, “It doesn’t matter if it’s a small grocer or a small mom and pop. It meets the consumer’s demand and gives everybody who chooses to do so the opportunity to expand their business.”

Overall, if the petition is not passed and added to the ballot, the people of Oklahoma will vote whether or not to make high-point, refrigerated beer and wine more accessible. This decision will come easily to many people who choose to imbibe – who doesn’t want more options?

Hancock said, “I think a lot of them [Oklahoman voters] want convenience. They want to be able to get full strength beer cold any place. They want a good selection, and then after that it just kind of shoots off into lots of other things.”

Approaching the November 8 ballot, each voter has the option to do their research and have their say on amendments to the Oklahoma constitution. To read more about the current state questions and how you may wish to vote on them, visit www.sos.ok.gov.

The Gayly – September 7, 2016 @ 10:30 a.m.