Group Formed to Support Alcohol Sales in Tyler

The sale of beer and wine in Tyler, Flint and Bullard may soon be put to a vote.

The “Buy Local First” Committee, which was introduced during a news conference today, will be asking residents in Tyler and Smith County Justice Precinct 2 to sign a petition calling for a local option election this November that would include the legal sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption only, and to expand the current legal sale of alcohol in restaurants in all of JP 2, which includes southwestern Tyler, Flint and Bullard.

That particular issue was overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2008 and would expand to more areas, as well as eliminates the private membership requirement at establishments that serve alcohol.

Bob Westbrook, spokesperson for the Buy Local First Committee, said a recent survey conducted by the Government Affairs Committee of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce showed six out of every 10 registered voters would vote to allow the sale of beer and wine in grocery and convenience stores. The survey also included a number of local issues, including traffic, roads, jobs and unemployment.

In order to call for an election, sate law requires the group to collect at least 7,800 signatures from registered voters in the City of Tyler and 6,700 signatures from voters in JP 2. The petition would then be presented to the Tyler City Council and the Smith County Commissioners  before it can be placed on the November ballot.