Group Files Petition to Put Alcohol Sales on Madison Co. Ballot
By: Tyler Thomason, KNWA News
Updated: August 8, 2012
"Good afternoon sir, good to see you. Got a package for you," says Robert Barton as he enters the Madison County clerk's office.
A package with potential to bring a booze battle to the ballot in Madison County.
Barton represents "Keeping the Money in Madison County," a group in favor of turning Madison County wet.
"We've been working on collecting signatures pretty much for the last six months," Barton says.
The group filed a petition Wednesday that included nearly 400 pages of more than 3,500 signatures in an effort to get the wet-dry issue on the November ballot.
"My office will have 10 days to go through the signatures to verify if they're legal voters or not," says Faron Ledbetter, Madison County clerk.
Only a little more than 3,100 are required for this wet-dry war to be played out at the polls in a county that's been designated dry since 1946.
"We felt like for a long time that the main reason Madison County stayed dry was just inertia," Barton says. "There wasn't anybody that wanted to take the time to change the law."
But others don't want that law changed.
"If it's more readily available, people will drink more. You're looking at an increase of crime, you're looking at an increase of health issues, increase in safety issues," says Dianna Edmonson, representing a group called "Citizens to Keep Madison County Safe."
She opposes the potential law change, saying people have had a say for the past 70 years and that the county has been voted dry for a reason.
"It doesn't make sense any sense, we're just spending money outside the county that's probably better spent here," Barton says.
As the debate heats up, penmanship is pending in the county clerk's office as a stack of signatures await validation.
"I have to say, after working on this pretty much nonstop for the last six months, I'm glad to have it off my desk and on theirs," Barton adds.
A package with potential to bring a booze battle to the ballot in Madison County.
Barton represents "Keeping the Money in Madison County," a group in favor of turning Madison County wet.
"We've been working on collecting signatures pretty much for the last six months," Barton says.
The group filed a petition Wednesday that included nearly 400 pages of more than 3,500 signatures in an effort to get the wet-dry issue on the November ballot.
"My office will have 10 days to go through the signatures to verify if they're legal voters or not," says Faron Ledbetter, Madison County clerk.
Only a little more than 3,100 are required for this wet-dry war to be played out at the polls in a county that's been designated dry since 1946.
"We felt like for a long time that the main reason Madison County stayed dry was just inertia," Barton says. "There wasn't anybody that wanted to take the time to change the law."
But others don't want that law changed.
"If it's more readily available, people will drink more. You're looking at an increase of crime, you're looking at an increase of health issues, increase in safety issues," says Dianna Edmonson, representing a group called "Citizens to Keep Madison County Safe."
She opposes the potential law change, saying people have had a say for the past 70 years and that the county has been voted dry for a reason.
"It doesn't make sense any sense, we're just spending money outside the county that's probably better spent here," Barton says.
As the debate heats up, penmanship is pending in the county clerk's office as a stack of signatures await validation.
"I have to say, after working on this pretty much nonstop for the last six months, I'm glad to have it off my desk and on theirs," Barton adds.
