Petition sought for alcohol consumption
IOLA — Francine’s Country Pavilion, Grimes County’s newest concert and event venue, is pursuing a change to the town’s liquor law to serve alcohol at events.
Precinct One, which encompasses parts of Iola, Shiro, and Carlos, is a partially dry place where alcohol may be sold but not consumed on premise.
The area was completely dry when the sale of beer and wine was approved during a 2005 election. However, the law requires that alcohol has to be consumed off premise of the sale. A workaround for this under the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is purchase and consumption as a member of a private club, which Francine’s is not.
Francine’s owner, Gary Spivey, applied for an application to change the law. Application submissions require at least 10 signatures from voters in the area where the law applies. Additionally, a notice must be published in a newspaper. The application was approved, and Spivey is collecting signatures for the next step which requires a petition.
The petition must be completed and turned in by Aug. 5; 60 days after the application was approved. Petitions for changes to liquor laws require a minimum of 25% of voters who participated in the general election. An alternative requirement involves permit signatures of at least 35% of those who voted in the latest gubernatorial election. This other requirement is the one that is needed in this scenario for the petition. Currently, Spivey has around half of the 1,000 signatures he needs. “I don’t think we’ll make it,” said Spivey regarding having enough signatures by the deadline.
Meeting the petition signature quota is only the first step Spivey would need to take. Following a successful petition, it would be sent to the election’s office for a request for election. The commissioners court has the power to approve or deny the request. If commissioners approve the election request, it would be put on the ballot for voting in the following election.
Spivey said alcohol sales are an important part of a business like his, and effects other businesses in the area as well. He estimates half his revenue comes from alcohol sales. Without that revenue, “It’s hard to stay open.” If Spivey doesn’t obtain the required signatures, he plans to continue trying until the law changes.
The petition can be signed at the following locations:
• Francine’s Country Pavilion, 21155 CR 124, Iola, TX 77861
• Mallett Brothers, 7247 Main St, Iola TX 77861
• Chickenfoot, 7142 Main St, Iola, TX 77861
• Standley Feed & Seed, 23622 FM 39, Iola, TX 77861
• Grimes County Feed & Farm, 5264 SH 30, Anderson, TX 77830
• First Home Improvement, 22026 TX-90, Bedias, TX 77831 Further information regarding the petition can be inquired by emailing FrancinesCountryPavilion@ gmail. com or by calling 979-2240492.