LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A bill in the Arkansas legislature that would raise the number of liquor licenses a person or corporation can own is heading to the governor’s desk for her signature.
Senate Bill 97 was filed by Sen. Bart Hester (R-Cave Springs) on Jan. 23 and sponsored by Rep. Jeremiah Moore (R-Clarendon).
The bill would increase the amount of liquor licenses one person or corporation could own in the Natural State from one to three.
However, a person can only have a maximum of one license per county, and the additional licenses must be in counties with 200,000 or more people (Benton, Washington, and Pulaski counties).
Hester said in a City, County Local Affairs meeting on Jan. 28 that the supply of licenses is not increasing but the demand is.
“I believe, based on basic economics of supply and demand, that the valuations of liquor licenses will go up in the state of Arkansas. That’s for everybody that owns one — the smallest mom-and-pop liquor retailer to the big box that owns them,” Hester said.
The bill passed the Senate on Jan. 29 by a 23-10 vote and the House on Feb. 20 by a 56-33 vote.
SB97 is one of two alcohol-related bills awaiting the governor’s signature.
The other would allow third-party delivery services to deliver alcohol from a liquor or grocery store to anyone over the age of 21 in a wet county. The delivery service would need a permit from the Alcohol and Beverage Commission to provide for customers.
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