A complete overhaul of Oklahoma’s liquor laws is approved by both chambers of the legislature in one day.
Senators last month passed a resolution to call a public vote on amending the state constitution. Thursday, House members did the same, and both chambers approved Sen. Stephanie Bice and Rep. Glen Mulready’s 285-page companion bill.
"It promotes small business. It gives consumer choice, which is being asked for," Mulready said on the House floor. "This will be a big win to go back to your district. It will be very popular that you moved this forward, and yet we also have public safety measures in there."
The long-awaited companion bill covers everything from shipping to seller licenses. Reps. Todd Russ and Jason Nelson debated against it, saying the public vote isn’t a given and warning of moral consequences.
"From the latest polls of voters, [the constitutional amendment] very well may not pass, and we wouldn't even need this bill," Russ said.
"You're going to have these negative social consequences — there's not one provision in here," Nelson said.
Mulready pushed back against colleagues who suggested laying the bill over because it didn’t need to be in place until 2018.
"We will be voting in November, so we want to have a framework that folks will know what that picture looks like, at least at a basic level, behind the curtain, if that gets voted through in November," Mulready said.
If the governor signs the companion bill and voters approve the state question, Oklahoma grocers and convenience stores could sell cold regular beer and wine starting in 2018.
