Reno County ends rule that infringes on the free-market

Kansas rejected liquor by the drink laws in 1970. However, by 1986, a statewide revamp of prohibition-era laws brought back the issue to the ballot, bringing about the 30 percent rule.

The 30 percent rule is a big government law that infringes on the free-market. Due to the rule, any establishment that sells liquor by the drink is required to make 30 percent of its profits from the sale of food. If the business fails to make 30 percent of its profits this way, the government has the power to shut the business down.

By 1998, counties were allowed to loosen the strict alcohol laws thanks to new legislation. On Tuesday, Reno County voted on whether or not to end the rule. Now, of the 105 Kansas counties, 59 still have the 30 percent rule, while Reno County becomes the 45th county in Kansas to have no food sales requirement. Wallace County in Western Kansas does not have liquor by the drink laws, but is a dry county.

It is important to note that a business that makes enough profits to stay open, regardless of how it makes said profits, should have the right to stay open as it benefits the community enough for people to willingly spend their hard-earned money at the business. And this archaic rule almost brought the end to a local business just last year.

Owner of Sandhills Brewery’s Hutchinson Taproom Pippin Williamson spearheaded the ballot question after his business was nearly shutdown by the Kansas Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) department in 2022 after failing to meet the 30 percent food sales margin.

Customers came together to save Williamson’s business last year by purchasing over $42,000 worth of food over the course of five days. This year, citizens of Reno County made sure his business would not have to go through such a struggle ever again with 89 percent of precincts reporting, 5,174 voters saying ‘yes’ to ending the 30 percent rule, while 1,704 voted ‘no.’

Craft brewers and bars will not be the only businesses to benefit from this vote. Any business that sells alcohol by the drink in Reno County—from golf courses to entertainment venues—will be able to sell alcohol by the drink without worry of tracking food sales.