ABC Board Awash In Permit Applications From Newly Wet Counties

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) 98 views 

From John Lyon with our content partner, the Arkansas News Bureau:

The state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board is considering dozens of applications for retail liquor permits this week in the wake of November elections that changed three Arkansas counties from dry to wet.

Voters elected to allow alcohol sales in Benton, Madison and Sharp counties. The ABC Board later received 71 applications for retail liquor permits for proposed liquor stores in Benton County, 10 for stores in Madison County and 43 for stores in Sharp County.

Arkansas law limits counties to one liquor store per 4,000 residents, so the state ABC Division held drawings to select 55 applicants from Benton County, three from Madison County and four from Sharp County. On Tuesday the ABC board began a three-day meeting to consider the applications.

The board approved all of the applications from Madison and Sharp counties on Tuesday. By mid-afternoon Wednesday, the board had approved 18 applications and rejected seven from Benton County. One application from Benton County was withdrawn by the applicant.

Read more on the story at this link.