Riding some of the greasiest skids we’ve ever seen, a bill to safeguard certain liquor retailers from competition passed Wednesday.
The bill shot through the Legislature with an emergency clause that will put it into effect when Gov. Mike Beebe signs it, which he has said he will do
before the week is out.
Who says government isn’t
responsive? Making this bill a
law barely took two weeks. Had
there not been a debilitating
snowstorm, it might have gone
quicker than that.
Those frustrated at the slow
pace of government apparentlyneed to attach their issues to protectionist bills for liquor retailers.
House Bill 1282 slams shut a provision in the law that allowed Macadoodles, a liquor store chain from Missouri, to sponsor franchises in Arkansas.
Sen. Michael Lamoureux - a Republican, no less - from Russellville defended this bill. Liquor’s already “the most heavily, intensely regulated industry in Arkansas,” he said. So the solution’s to squeeze the neck of competition even tighter, it seems.
“This clarifies the original intent of the law - one person, one permit,” Lamoureux said, completely ignoring the fact that owners of each franchise store would each need a permit of his or her own.
This “logic” also conveniently overlooks the fact that three Arkansas companies in business prior to 1971 hold multiple liquor store permits (including the seven-store Springdale Liquor Association). They were “grandfathered in” when the one-person, one-permit law was passed.
Those fortunate businesses already held a competitive advantage. Now it’ll be guaranteed.
The Northwest legislators who deserve your respect the most for opposing this bill are Kim Hendren, R-Gravette and Bill Pritchard, R-Elkins in the Senate and Rep. Uvalde Lindsey, D-Fayetteville in the House.
Arriving late on the good side of this issue are some other members of the Northwest Arkansas House delegation. They voted for the bill the first time but voted against it when it came back to the House to approve a Senate amendment. Give them credit for at least figuring out that this bill had nothing to do with regulating liquor sales and everything to do with stifling competition.
Those new converts are: Duncan Baird, R-Lowell;
Jonathan Barnett, R-Siloam Springs; Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville; Justin Harris, R-West Fork; Debra Hobbs, R-Rogers; Mary Slinkard, R-Gravette; and Tim Summers, R-Bentonville. Rep. Les Carnine, R-Rogers, voted “present.”
Failing their constituents by voting for this horrid bill were: Donna Hutchinson, R-Bella Vista; Jon Woods, R-Springdale and Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville. The amended bill sailed through 78 to 16.
In the Senate, those opposing free enterprise and supporting more insulation from competition for a select few were: Cecile Bledsoe, R-Rogers; Randy Laverty, D-Jasper; Sue Madison, D-Fayetteville and Ruth Whitaker, R-Cedarville. Also opting for blissful disregard of this bill’s consequences is Beebe, whose willingness to sign such a bill indicates he’s got no political capital to spend on entrepreneurial fairness, at least when it comes to liquor stores.
One last point: Perhaps the most brazen canard advanced by the supporters of this bill was one repeated by Madison when this newspaper blew the whistle by writing about it last week. She said she generally supported House Bill 1282 because she didn’t want to see liquor stores on every corner, like she did years ago living in Louisiana.
This bill will have no effect on the number of liquor stores that can be approved in any part of the state. That’s determined by the population and the Alcohol Beverage Control Board, which grants the permits on a case-by-case basis.
No, House Bill 1282 will have no effect on accomplishing the goals its supporters claim. It goes nowhere, and went there very fast.
Opinion, Pages 5 on 02/18/2011