Group seeks to legalize alcohol in city limits
By JIMMY GALVAN Managing Editor

A special purpose political action committee has posted a legal notice announcing its intent to file an application with the Jasper County Clerk to circulate petitions for a local option election to legalize the sale of beer and wine within the city of Jasper.

The Jasper Citizens for Better Business plans to circulate petitions for a local option election to legalize the legal sale of beer and wine for offpremise consumption only and the legal sale of mixed beverages in restaurants by food and beverage certificate holders only in the city of Jasper.

"We work predominately with major retail grocery stores and with restaurant chains who would like to sell beer and wine and restaurants who would like to sell without doing the private club aspect," said John Hatch of Texas Petition Strategies. "We have been contacted from some of these local retail groups that have asked us to pursue this and are working with our local committee on this issue."

Hatch said he was not at liberty to announce the local members on the committee as of yet.

He said he plans on filing the paperwork with the Jasper County Clerk's office in the coming days.

"We are only asking for the citizens to approve what we call the grocery store and restaurant versions," Hatch said. "This will not allow liquor stores in Jasper and will apply to only legitimate restaurants and does not apply to standalone bars and clubs."

Diane South of the Jasper County Clerk's office told The Jasper Newsboy that Hatch has requested an electronic list of all registered voters and the number of signatures needed to call for a local option election for beer/wine off-premise and restaurants in the city of Jasper.

Hatch said his group's intention is to gather the signatures, and have them back in the county clerk's office by Feb. 8, in time for the issues to placed on the May ballot.

According to state law, a mini-petition has to be provided to the county clerk's office asking for a petition to be put together.

"We want to try to get this on the May ballot," Hatch said. "We want the petition finished by early February so that the election can be called by early March and then placed on the May ballot."

State law mandates that 35 percent of voters who voted in the 2006 general election in Jasper be on the petition in order to make it legal. Hatch believes that number will be around 500 signatures on the petition.

The election would coincide with the city's May election for council positions.

Hatch said he doesn't believe there will be an issue gaining the required number of signatures in order to call for the election.

"There are two types of opposition in this business," Hatch said. "There is the standard 20-25 percent that is opposed for moral or religious reasons. Then there is the manufactured opposition, which is the opposition that tries to pretend they are an entity for moral or religious reasons.

"If you peel the onion skin layers back enough, you will find a liquor store owner in a neighboring jurisdiction that is afraid of losing revenue," Hatch said. "What this boils down is going to the general public and asking them if they have a problem with their grocery stores selling beer and wine or a Chili's restaurant selling beer and wine. Most don't have a problem with it and then you have eliminated your opposition."