City of Barling to Permit Public Drinking District

Alcohol, Public Drinking,

The City of Barling in Sebastian County plans to create a public drinking district, according to KSFM-TV news.

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 by Rep. Lee Johnson (R – Greenwood) and Sen. Breanne Davis (R – Russellville) expanded the law to let cities in dry counties approve public drinking as well if the city contains a private club that serves alcohol.

According to the Department of Finance and Administration’s website, Sebastian County is a dry county, with the exception of Fort Smith. Barling — which is part of the Fort Smith metro area — contains private clubs that are authorized to sell alcohol, and the public drinking district apparently will be located adjacent to them.

As we have said time and time again, public drinking is a scourge on the community.

It doesn’t attract new businesses or bolster the economy.

Public drinking raises serious concerns about drunk driving and public safety.

It hurts neighborhoods and families.

Arkansans ought to stay away from any proposal that would legalize public drinking in their communities.

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Walton Family to Offer $1 Million in Grants for Pro-LGBT Groups in Arkansas

LGBT, Transgender,

The Associated Press reports that the Walton Family Foundation will offer $1 million in grant money to pro-LGBT groups in Arkansas.

The AP writes,

The new fund is being established with support from the Alice L. Walton Foundation and from Olivia and Tom Walton through the Walton Family Foundation. The fund will distribute grants of $25,000 and more for groups that offer legal, health, education and advocacy services, along with other high-demand needs.

Arkansas Community Foundation will oversee the fund.

Based on the description of the grant, it sounds as if the money could go to groups like Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, or the Human Rights Campaign — all of whom have been active in Arkansas over the years.

Besides being the nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood has also become a major provider of cross-sex hormones and other transgender services both in Arkansas and nationwide.

The ACLU currently is suing to block the State of Arkansas from enforcing a law that protects children from sex-reassignment procedures.

And the Human Rights Campaign has a history of promoting its pro-LGBT agenda in Arkansas.

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