Small Surrounding Towns Affected By Alcohol Election
By: Danielle Todesco
Updated: May 11, 2009
Saturday's election also applies to surrounding towns in Lubbock County, causing them to go wet along with Lubbock.
New deal, Shallowater, Slaton, Idalou, and Abernathy are all now facing the expanded sale of packaged alcohol and on-premise serving. In some cases, these cities have previously held elections to legalize alcohol sales...and they failed. Now, Lubbock's election passes it, unless the city has passed a vote to prohibit the sale of alcohol in city limits...something the cities may be looking into.
John Grace, Assistant District Attorney:
"It's the same process. There would need to be a petition drive and they would need to get the correct number of signatures for their jurisdiction. If they can get enough signatures, then they can bring that commissioner's court and we would hold an election and put the item on the ballot."
Abernathy is an interesting case because only the southern portion of the city is in Lubbock County, the rest in Hale County. The City Manager tells us the majority of their city did not want to go wet, but Lubbock voters decided for them.
