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Concerns about ballot issue shared
On Tuesday, voters will be asked to decide whether Bourbon County’s law regarding food sales in alcohol establishments should be required.
The question for Bourbon County reads, “Shall the sale of alcohol liquor by the individual drink in Bourbon County, Kansas, be allowed in public places without a requirement that any portion of their gross sales be from the sale of food?”
Currently, 30 percent of gross sales must be from the sale of food in drinking establishments.
Members of Interdenominational Ministries of Bourbon County say the law should not be changed.
“My biggest concern is all the hotels in town can become bars,” Amanda Gilmore, member of the ministry said. “Anybody can open a bar on a corner. I’m just thinking, is that really good economic growth for Bourbon County because wouldn’t that be too great of competition since we already have multiple establishments that offer liquor? Wouldn’t that already be hurting Sharkey’s and Nate’s or Crooner’s and Holmtown? I can’t even imagine being able to support another establishment that offers liquor just from a logical standpoint.”
Proponents have promoted voting “yes” on the ballot question as a means of helping economic and tourism growth in Bourbon County. They say the change would encourage additional microbreweries to open.
“That doesn’t make wise business sense to me,” Gilmore said.
She said she also is concerned there is no limit to the amount of alcohol content allowed in microbrewery products.
According to information from the Kansas Department of Revenue Alcoholic Beverage Control, “A microbrewery licensee is authorized to manufacture beer containing more than 3.2 percent alcohol by weight (ABW) and not more than 15 percent ABW. Last legislative session they increased the alcohol content in beer that a microbrewery can manufacture from 10 percent ABW to 15 percent ABW.”
In Kansas, 66 counties require 30 percent food sales and 33 counties do not require food sales.
In Southeast Kansas, those counties that do not require food sales are Crawford, Cherokee, Woodson and Montgomery, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue.
Statewide, counties that do not allow liquor by the drink are Jewell, Gray, Meade, Haskell, Stanton and Wallace.
“I’m from one of those counties that doesn’t have that 30 percent requirement,” Gilmore said. “There’s a big difference between that culture and here. This is a much better culture, in my opinion.”
“This is an issue about maintaining moderation and responsible drinking because that is what the laws are designed to do,” Gilmore said.
She has been a classroom teacher and currently works with Mother to Mother Ministries, a service for young and new mothers. She said she has seen the result of alcohol abuse.
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