Reno County has opportunity to open the market for establishments that sell alcohol

On November 7, the citizens of Reno County will have a chance to say, “Yes” to free-market capitalism, allowing for businesses that specialize in selling alcoholic beverages a chance to improve their craft without worry of certain government regulations. Specifically, they will be voting to repeal a law that requires establishments that sell alcohol to derive a minimum 30 percent of their sales from food.

In 1970, Kansas voters rejected liquor by the drink laws. However, a state-wide revamp of prohibition-era laws brought this issue back on the ballot in 1986, adding the 30 percent food requirement. In 1998, legislation passed, allowing counties to loosen the strict alcohol laws. 

The 30 percent food requirement has hindered small businesses in Reno County, specifically Sandhills Brewery, a microbrewery owned by Pippin Williamson, who nearly lost their licensing last year after almost failing to meet the food sales requirement. The business was only saved due to community members coming out to special nightly dinners the microbrewery was hosting in order to meet the minimum requirements with customers purchasing over $42,000 worth of food in just five days. Sandhills Brewery is now urging its customers to vote “Yes” on or before November 7 in order to repeal the requirement that almost cost them their license and support businesses like theirs.  

While this opportunity to create a freer market for establishments is great for Reno County, and small, locally-owned businesses should not have to worry about going out of business just because the government doesn’t like that they’re not selling a certain percentage of a specific product, this is hardly the only county in Kansas to have such laws. In fact, this law is common in Kansas with more than half of the counties in the state abiding by the 30 percent food sales with the purchase of alcohol–63 of the 105 Kansas counties in total. Wallace, Stanton, and Haskell are the only three counties in Kansas that are completely dry, meaning you can’t buy alcohol in these counties. Another 39 counties have done away with the anti-capitalist requirements of accompanying food purchases.