BRYANT, Ark. (KTHV) - If you ever wanted to enjoy a cold adult beverage on a Sunday afternoon, you were probably out of luck unless you stocked up. That's because you can’t buy alcohol on Sundays across most of Arkansas.
However, Bryant could become the first city in central Arkansas to allow liquor sales on Sundays. Right now, the owner at Crossroads Wine and Spirits is collecting signatures, hoping to give voters a say this November.
Debbie Goolsby, the owner, is leading this effort.
“It’ll be like a little oasis,” said Goolsby.
Bryant would join the few cities across the state, like Springdale and Eureka Springs, that have already passed a similar ordinance. Act 294 passed in 2009 and it includes a provision that lets any city or county start a petition to allow Sunday sales.
"It has to be done by referendum petition, basically it has to be citizen-driven. You can't do it from the city side," said Chris Madison, staff attorney for the City of Bryant.
Getting this ordinance on November’s ballot requires signatures of 15 percent of people who voted in the last governor's election. To get on the ballot in Bryant, nearly 1,200 signatures of Bryant voters are needed.
"If they get the number they need it goes on the ballot and the citizens will get to vote on it," said Madison.
This would allow any store that sells liquor, wine, or beer including liquor stores, grocery stores, and convenience stores to sell from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.
Goolsby teamed up with other Bryant liquor store owners to collect the signatures by the beginning of August. They’re allowing people to sign in store, while they also have people out on the streets collecting.
She believes the local impact would go beyond her store.
“It’s going to be a tax revenue, bring in money for those schools, roads, parks, and everything we all enjoy and it will be tax dollars really coming from outside the county," said Goolsby.
If this makes it to Novembers ballot and the majority of citizens vote in favor of it, it will likely go in effect this December.