TABC dismisses Alcohol Protests
By: Julie Musgrave
Updated: September 2, 2009
Lubbock could be days away from selling packaged alcohol in area stores. The TABC announced they are dismissing all petitions filed by Lubbock County residents, arguing against the validity of May's election.
You'll recall several petitions were filed against new licenses and permits in Lubbock County a few weeks ago.
The citizens filing those protests argue that a vote for Lubbock County does not mean that the City of Lubbock, and other surrounding cities, can legally go wet.
TABC originally said it would require a protest hearing in Lubbock County to decide whether or not sales could begin.
Today -- they're taking that back, saying the protest process is beyond their authority and the question of wet or dry is not their role in the state.
This whole situation is actually the basis for new policies within TABC, and local sales supporters are looking forward to what comes next.
Carolyn Beck, TABC: "Certainly we've come to some conclusion that will result in us changing our policy so that it's more clear that we're not going to handle wet/dry certification issues like this through the protest process in the future."
Melissa Pierce, Supports Alcohol Sales: "I'm really happy that TABC threw the protests out. We knew that the county had been declared wet back in May, and so I think what the opposition was doing was just another stalling tactic. And hopefully now, we can just get back to business."
Now -- TABC says just because the protests are being dismissed. Citizens can still dispute the election, they can file an injunction with our local courts to stop permits from being issued.
If no injunctions are filed, TABC says permits could start being issued in the next couple of days.
