El Dorado City Council Discusses Weekend “Rowdiness” in City’s Public Drinking District

Public Drinking

During last week’s meeting, the El Dorado City Council discussed “rowdiness” in its entertainment district downtown, according to the El Dorado New-Times.

Act 812 of 2019 lets cities create “entertainment districts” where alcohol can be carried and consumed publicly on streets and sidewalks. These districts can be permanent or temporary under Act 812.

Act 874 of 2021 expanded the law to let cities in dry counties approve public drinking as well if the city contains a private club that serves alcohol.

This year lawmakers passed Act 34, which lets cities and towns that do not collect advertising and promotion taxes on hotels and restaurants establish entertainment districts where public drinking is legal. This has the potential to expand public drinking in Arkansas by letting communities authorize public drinking in entertainment districts even if the community does not cater toward hospitality and tourism.

Family Council strongly opposed each of these laws, because of the harm that public drinking causes to communities.

In 2019 El Dorado’s city council voted to authorize public drinking in an entertainment district covering approximately nine blocks downtown.

At the July 13 meeting, City Council Member Frank Hash reportedly noted that disorderly and unruly behavior has become a recurring problem on the weekends in parts of El Dorado’s public drinking district.

Yesterday’s El Dorado News-Times article indicates that law enforcement has faced challenges policing El Dorado’s entertainment district, and that litter and other types of disruptive behavior have been a problem associated with the area.

As we have said for years, public drinking is a scourge on the community.

It raises serious concerns about drunk driving and public safety.

Public drinking doesn’t attract new businesses, bolster the economy, or revitalize Main Street. It hurts neighborhoods and families.

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Lawmakers Continue Filing Bills to Expand Alcohol in Arkansas

Alcohol, Legislature, Public Drinking,

Alcohol expansion continues to be a major topic at the Arkansas Legislature.

This year, lawmakers have filed multiple bills amending and expanding the state’s alcohol laws.

For example, S.B. 411 by Sen. Missy Irvin (R – Mountain View) and Rep. Matt Brown (R – Conway) more than doubles the percentage of alcohol by weight that beer can contain under Arkansas law.

Current law says beer can contain no more than 5% alcohol by weight. S.B. 411 raises that limit to 12% alcohol by weight. This could drastically increase the alcohol content of beer sold in Arkansas.

H.B. 1589 by Rep. Jay Richardson (D – Fort Smith) repeals Arkansas’ limit on the number of alcohol wholesaler permits in the state. Repealing this limit could expand the number of wholesalers selling alcohol in Arkansas.

H.B. 1498 by Rep. Matt Brown (R – Conway) and Sen. Missy Irvin (R – Mountain View) would expand alcohol at microbrewery-restaurant private clubs and let municipalities authorize public drinking in entertainment districts outside microbrewery-restaurant private clubs. The bill passed the Arkansas House last week, and is in the Arkansas Senate this week.

The Arkansas Legislature has already passed Act 34 of 2023 by Rep. David Ray (R – Maumelle) and Sen. Matt McKee (R – Pearcy) letting cities and towns that do not collect advertising and promotion taxes on hotels and restaurants establish entertainment districts where public drinking is legal. This has the potential to expand public drinking in Arkansas by letting communities authorize public drinking in entertainment districts even if the community does not cater toward hospitality and tourism. Another new law — Act 169 of 2023 by Rep. David Ray (R – Maumelle) and Sen. Justin Boyd (R – Fort Smith) — would expand alcohol sales via microbreweries.

Alcohol is readily available in Arkansas. At this point, any law expanding its availability or consumption raises serious concerns about DUI offenses, crime, public health, and public safety.

That is why Family Council generally opposes the expansion of alcohol in Arkansas.

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