North Little Rock to Weigh Public Drinking Proposal
The North Little Rock City Council will consider a proposal to permit public drinking in its Argenta District daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Act 812 of 2019 by Sen. Trent Garner (R – El Dorado) and Rep. Sonia Barker (R – Smackover) 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.
Public drinking proposals have cropped up across the state in recent months.
The Fayetteville City Council voted last week to allow public drinking, but city board members in neighboring Siloam Springs recently rejected a public drinking proposal.
As we have said many times, 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 or bolster the economy.
It hurts neighborhoods and families.
That’s why Family Council has put together a free toolkit to help citizens oppose these public drinking districts.
Our toolkit contains talking points, information about problems public drinking has caused in other states, photographs of public drinking districts elsewhere around the country, and other resources you can use to fight public drinking in your community.
Click here to download our free toolkit.
Photo Credit: Welcome to North Little Rock, Arkansas by Jimmy Emerson, DVM on Flickr.