Glenwood Herald

Attorney attempting to get wet vote on Clark County ballot September 3, 2008 - No reporter cited

By Michael G. Fox
Editor

ARKADELPHIA – An attempt to legalize the sale of alcohol in Clark County has been spearheaded by Arkadelphia attorney Andy Berry with 3,471 of the 4,200 needed signatures confirmed as of late last week.

If enough signatures are procured by Wednesday, Sept. 3, then the initiative will be on the November ballot for Clark County voters.

“We are getting them coming in at all times,” Berry said.

According to Berry the initiative calls for a total of five liquor stores in Clark County. This is based on population - one liquor store for every 5,000 people in the county.

What Berry failed to mention, but was brought up by Joe May, who opposes the initiative, was that local convenience stores can also sell beer, with the appropriate license.

A similar initiative failed two years ago, but it did not have the grassroots support that Berry’s initiative has.

“We have had a ground swell of local support. No community leaders are involved, but they have indicated that they are willing to sign if needed,” Berry said.

Berry reiterates that the public has been supportive and he estimates that “70 percent” of the registered voters in Clark County support legalizing liquor sales.

Besides, Berry notes, the Country Club in Arkadelphia already sells alcohol in Clark County.

Berry mentions that he brought up the liquor issue at a meeting of the Clark County Strategic Planning Commission and the reaction was negative. He was mystified by this because he believes the sale of alcohol will be better for the county economically.

“It is an economic and a lifestyle issue. It is better for the economy and people will not have to leave the county to buy alcohol. This will keep more of our tax dollars at home.”

Berry said that in an informal survey, he discovered that all counties between Miller and Garland, both of which are wet, are losing money to the wet counties.
“We have got to keep this money in Clark County,” he states.

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