Committee Asks Voters to Sign Local Option Petitions

TYLER — A group seeking to allow limited alcohol sales in Tyler and Smith County Justice Precinct 2 launches its petition drive. Buy Local First is a special purpose political action committee calling for a local option election this November. In order to call an election, state law requires the group to collect approximately 7,800 signatures of City of Tyler registered voters and 6,700 signatures of voters in Justice Precinct 2 which includes southwestern Tyler, Flint and Bullard.

The group will be asking voters to sign petitions calling for an election to allow:
• “the legal sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption only.” By state law this will only allow beer and wine sold in places like grocery and convenience stores. This law will not allow packaged liquor sales.
• “the legal sale of mixed beverages in restaurants by food and beverage certificate holders only” This version was overwhelmingly approved by City of Tyler voters in 2008. The current effort will expand sales to those areas annexed after the 2008 election and in all of JP 2.

Supporters will be able to sign the petitions at various locations. You can go to http://www.buy-local-first.org to learn more. Past wet/dry elections in the area have invariably met with opposition, but no organized group has yet emerged to oppose the current local option campaign.