Voters to decide if alcoholic beverages can be sold on Sundays

Logan County voters will head to the polls for a special election to decide if alcoholic beverages can be sold on Sundays, with the exception of two holidays.

Logan County is one of 18 Oklahoma counties that restrict liquor by the drink on Sundays, but business owners have been looking for change and will have their opportunity following a 3-0 vote from the Board of County Commissioners last week.

The discussion can be viewed in the video below this article beginning at 7:40. Related video: The commissioners discussed liquor by the drink conversation begins at 1:25 into the video.

Voters will go to the polls on March 1 in the Presidential Preferential Primary. In the process, Logan County will not be charged to hold the election saving the county an estimated $13,000. In addition, a larger voter turnout is expected in the primary race.

If passed with a majority vote, alcohol sales would be allowed on Sundays with the exception of Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. A decision made by organizers, primarily business owners, who say they hope this will help with the church community whom they say opposes the alcohol sales on Sundays.

Nearby Oklahoma County does not hold any current restrictions.

State law requires liquor stores to be closed on Sundays and some holidays, but a successful vote would allow businesses to sell liquor on Sundays.

Commissioners and business owners agree if the ballot question is passed it would allow growth in revenue for the county with sales and possibly more businesses locating within the county.

Helen Price with the Lazy E says patrons are moving across the county line for the full experience.

“If they can’t have that full experience, they are not going to stay here,” Price said.

“There are a lot of golf tournaments that we could have on Sundays that have gone to other courses 20 minutes down the road,” Nash Martin with Cimarron National Golf Course said.

“A lot of people drink alcohol. Don’t have to like it, but it does cost golf courses and restaurants revenue.”

There are 23 counties that currently forbid liquor by the drink sales in restaurants and bars.

Voters in McCurtain and Grant counties approved propositions last November to allow the sale of liquor by the drink, but residents in Pushmataha County voted down a similar proposition. Voters in Pottawatomie County declined liquor by the drink on Sundays by a narrow margin (49.3 percent).