FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A group is trying to start an effort to make it legal to buy alcohol on Sundays in Fayetteville.
"When you look at Bentonville, Springdale, and Rogers, we know that they have all passed and implemented Sunday sales. We always thought it was just a matter of time until Fayetteville pursued this," said Scott Hardin, spokesperson for Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Act 294 of 2009 made it so that cities have the option of voting on Sunday alcohol sales with enough resident signatures.
The organization Keeping Our Dollars In Fayetteville is gearing up to collect signatures in the city to get this initiative on the November 2024 ballot.
Fayetteville will have to collect signatures of 15% of the people who voted in the most recent election for governor.
Nine of the 22 cities that have approved Sunday sales are in Northwest Arkansas. If approved in Fayetteville, it will be the biggest city in the state selling alcohol on Sundays.
Keeping Our Dollars in Fayetteville says the city loses tens of thousands of dollars each week to neighboring communities when residents buy there.
Hardin said the loss in tax revenue to neighboring cities is just as significant.
"It makes sense that Fayetteville is pursuing this because of tourism, and the people that come on Saturday for a game and then are in town Sunday," he added.
Liquor Mart and Wine Shoppe manager Brady Powell said he would embrace the Sunday sales because it would mean more revenue for his shop, "A lot of people go to Springdale then give all that money to Springdale. So hopefully that'll stay here."
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