Arkansas' grocers will begin stocking their shelves with an expanded assortment of wines Thursday, after a Wednesday vote by the Alcohol Beverage Control Board to issue 214 new permits to stores in the state's "wet" counties.
The board's vote — finished within minutes of its 9 a.m. call to order — ended an effort by several of the state's liquor stores to block expanded wine sales by their competitors, including grocers such as Kroger and Wal-Mart.
Previously, those stores and other conveinence stores had been limited to selling only small-batch farm wines, but lawmakers voted earlier this year to allow grocers to expand their selections.
Alcohol Beverage Control Director Mary Robin Casteel said the vote would allow the newly permitted stores to begin sales Thursday. Earlier, she had allowed stores to stock up on wines in anticipation of the vote.
None of the board members dissented to issuing the new permits.
On Tuesday, a U.S. district court judge in Little Rock declined to issue a preliminary injunction against the permitting process, clearing the way for Wednesday morning's vote. The injunction had been sought by several liquor store owners, who argued they were subject to stricter requirements to sell wines than the grocers would be.
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.