Cook: An Interview With David Couch On Expanding Alcohol Sales In Arkansas

There’s been a lot of attention and discussion this year on how the ballot proposal to raise Arkansas’ minimum wage might affect the dynamics of November’s election. However, a huge battle is brewing over another ballot proposal that could also have an impact on Arkansas politics.

There is a constitutional amendment on November’s ballot that, if passed, would legalize alcohol sales in all 75 counties. Currently 37 counties are dry, but a great many of them have private clubs where you purchase alcohol by the drink.

I recently interviewed Little Rock attorney David Couch, who is heading up the effort to allow legalized alcohol sales in every county.

Q: What are your polls showing in terms of support of this issue?

Couch: There have been three polls that have been publicly released. The first was one commissioned by the opposition which showed the issue to be tied at 48%. Ernie Oakleaf did that poll for the alcohol lobby. The second was one that I commissioned. That poll showed 49% in favor, 16% neutral, 32% opposed and 4% unsure.

The reason I included a neutral was my experience with the medical marijuana issue and the Brady effect. I thought that if I gave folks who may support the issue, but are not willing to say so in a poll a choice other than yes or no I could get a better indication of where we may stand on the issue. The final public poll released was the Public Policy Poll was 52% favor and 40% oppose.

Q: What organized groups oppose this issue? How much do you think they’ll spend?

Couch: The county line liquor stores are the primary opposition. They are funded primarily by the Conway County stores, the Greene County stores, the Craighead County stores and a couple of the liquor stores on the Pulaski/Faulkner County line and the Pulaski/Lonoke County line.

They have trade organizations who file 990 tax returns and as such they are public information and they were sitting on around $1.5 million. They did spend around $450,000 in trying to keep the Faulkner and Craighead County local options off the ballot. I believe that they have amassed a $2 million war chest and plan to spend every penny of it to attempt to defeat this measure.

Q: How much does your group plan to spend on this issue?

Couch: I hope to raise around $1.5 million. It will be a little more difficult for me, since I’m for something positive and I can’t use scare tactics to fundraise.

Arkansas Democrats hope the minimum wage issue will drive their voters to polls, but will the wet/dry issue have an impact on freedom-loving Democrats who don’t want to drive 45 minutes round trip just to buy a six-pack? I posed the question to Couch.

Q: Do you believe the statewide wet/dry issue will drive Democrats to the polls that otherwise might have stayed home?

Couch: The measure has its greatest support with those who identify themselves as Democrats, individuals who view themselves as moderate to liberal and are under the age of 45. In a midterm election, you traditionally see a big drop off in voting among Democrats and especially younger Democrats and those in college. Since this appears to be an issue that those groups support, perhaps they will turn out to vote for this issue. However, the issue is supported in greater numbers by males than females and that demographic tends to vote more for the Republican.

According to the PPP poll Couch mentioned, 64% of Democrats, 49% of Independents and 42% of Republicans support legalizing alcohol sales in all 75 counties.

Will Democrats living in dry counties flock to the polls to vote for this measure? Or will it be Republicans who turn out to oppose it?

Even though we’re less than two months away from election day, it’s still too early to tell who, if anyone, this issue will drive to the polls. Regardless of turnout, this issue is going to be hotly debated and contested.