OKLAHOMA CITY -
Big changes could be
looming for Oklahoma's liquor laws, as the state Supreme Court continues to
weigh whether a petition drive to change the state's liquor laws is constitutional.
News 9 first heard arguments
for allowing that petition, but now business owners who could feel the biggest
impacts if the laws ever do get changed are speaking out against the measure.
If the petition is
successfully circulated and Oklahoma voters approve it, residents could find
wine in some Oklahoma supermarkets.
6/21/2012
Related Story: Oklahoma Justices Consider Changes To Liquor Laws
It's a battle to keep wine
out of the grocery stores and on the shelves of local liquor stores. Bryan Kerr
owns Moore Liquor. He doesn't question the legality of the petition, but
questions the motive behind it.
"The way this one is
written, in particular, where it caters to some very specific interest people
who own a couple of big grocery stores in big cities in Oklahoma, while cutting
out everybody else," Kerr said.
Kerr says while it might
sound like a good idea to some voters, he's confident as they learn more about
the proposed changes, voters will turn the petition down.
"It doesn't provide us
with anything more than a tiny bit of convenience. And the tradeoff is
confusion, potentially higher prices in the future, potentially less selection
in the future, taxes going out of state instead of in state," said Kerr.
"They're motivated to take
that profit from the locally owned businesses and put it in the pockets of the
big box businesses."
6/21/2012 Related Story:
Oklahoma Supreme Court Justices Weigh Wine Plan Proposal
But attorney Lee Slater
who represents the proponents of the petition thinks liquor stores have other
motives: profit.
"They obviously don't want
the competition. Although I might point out that they would still have a
monopoly on the sale of strong beer and spirits," said Slater.
Kerr tells News 9 these
changes probably wouldn't hurt his business so much, but he thinks smaller
retailers would definitely feel the pinch. He says based on how Oklahomans have
voted in the past on liquor laws gives him confidence either the petition will
fail to collect enough signatures or will be voted down on Election Day.
The most recent polls
suggest Oklahomans overwhelming oppose changes to the current laws. The state Supreme
Court is expected to make a ruling in the coming weeks.
If the petition is successfully circulated and Oklahoma voters approve it, residents could find wine in some Oklahoma supermarkets.
