COMMENTARY Liquor Vote II, The Sequel

As with most sequels, this one is even worse than the original.

Last week’s column was about a bill in the Legislature that would, “clarify that a liquor permit applies to one location and a person, firm or corporation shall not use a liquor permit for multiple locations.”

Simply put, state Rep. Robert Dale, R-Dover, who sponsored the House bill, said the measure was written at the request of the Arkansas Beverage Retailers Association.

By sheer, sheer coincidence (that was sarcasm) the Springdale Liquor Association, which owns every liquor store in Springdale outside of the franchised Macadoodles, is a cog/member/ signal-caller of the Arkansas Beverage Retailers Association.

Gov. Mike Beebe signed this bill, which bars liquor stores from opening multiple franchise outlets in Arkansas.

Since we’re a newspaper and we focus on the negative, let’s take a look at the three state representatives who voted in favor, not only of passing the bill, but speeding up its effective start date - an amendment from the Senate.

Locally, there were some interesting vote breakdowns - and by breakdown, I mean breakdown of synapses in the brain.

Rep. Jon Woods, R-Springdale, Rep. Donna Hutchinson, R-Bella Vista and Rep. Greg Leding,D-Fayetteville. all voted in favor of the speed-up.

Notice anything unusual about those three names?

That’s right. Two of the three claim to be Republicans - yet voted against allowing free enterprise to determine the winners and losers in the marketplace.

Of course, Woods will run for state Senate, so he’ll need some help from Jim Phillips, the head of the Springdale Liquor Association’s family-run operation for campaign funds.

(Although Woods might as well run as a Democrat, because people aren’t going to forget this turncoat vote.)

Woods said he heard from legislators in other parts of the state who don’t want a Macadoodles or other franchiseoperations in their areas.

Yeah, right. The only thing Woods heard was the “cha-ching” of funding for his next election.

Hutchinson - who knows why she voted how she voted. She’s divorced but liked the Hutchinsonname enough to keep it for political gain.

And Leding’s from Fudville (Fayetteville). There’s no telling what, if anything, he was thinking.

On the Senate side, Sue Madison, D-Fudville and Cecile Bledsoe, R-Rogers voted in favor of the bill.

A Republican from Rogers voted on the same side as a Democrat from Fayetteville - again, to choke off business competition. Bledsoe might as well legally change her name to Sue Madison Jr.

To their credit, Senators Kim Hendren, R-Gravette and Bill Pritchard, R-Elkins voted against the measure.

Hendren and State Rep. Uvalde Lindsey, D-Fayetteville, opposed the bill throughout as it slinked its way through the bowels of the legislature.

And now Beebe’s signed it.

Beebe can’t run again because he is term-limited. He’s done some good for Northwest Arkansas, but this won’t go in the books as a plus for him.

He’ll go out remembered in this corner of the state as a plain ol’ meddling Democrat, determined to shove more government regulation down citizens’ collective throat while helping make even more money for a special interest group.

BOB CAUDLE WRITES A HUMOROUS COMMENTARY ON LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL ISSUES. HE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY INSULTER.

Opinion, Pages 5 on 02/19/2011

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