[RunItUpTheGut]

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Corbin group submits signatures for alcohol vote, wants Feb. 14 vote on the issue

Corbin voters will soon be deciding whether they want expanded alcohol sales.

Kurt Kraus, Chairman of the Citizens for Economic Progress, filed a petition at 11:54 a.m. Monday with the Whitley County Clerk's Office, which calls for a special election to decide the matter early next year.

"We presented them with the original all inclusive petition for both counties," he said Monday morning.

The group is asking that the special election be held on Feb. 14, which is within the 30-day time frame Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White has to schedule the election.

The official question on the ballot will be: "Are you in favor of the sale of alcoholic beverages in Corbin, Kentucky?"

If passed, Corbin would likely be allowed to issue three licenses to stores to sell package liquor of any type. An unlimited number of licenses could be issued to grocery stores, convenient marts and the like for beer sales. Also, restrictions on sales of alcohol at restaurants would become more lax. Currently, restaurants that sell alcohol must have at least 70 percent of their gross receipts come from food sales. That would drop to 50 percent.

The Corbin group began organizing its effort to place the question on the ballot about two months ago, and the petition contains about 700 total signatures, Kraus said.

About 60 verified signatures are needed for the Knox County portion of Corbin and about 350 verified signatures are needed for the Whitley County side of Corbin in order to place the matter on the ballot, he said.

Kraus said he doesn't know how voters will cast their ballots when they go to the polls, and what the chances are of the measure passing.

Whitley County Clerk Kay Schwartz said her office will have to verify the signatures on the ballot to see that they are registered voters in Corbin city limits, and to make sure the same signatures aren't on there more than once.

"We are still awaiting the statistical reports from the state board of elections on the voter turnout for the general election, which should be here in a few days," she said.

The process will likely take a few weeks. Then the petition will be presented to the Whitley County Fiscal Court at the January monthly meeting.

White will then issue an executive order scheduling the special election no sooner than 60 days after the petition was filed and no later than 90 days after it was filed, Schwartz said.

"There is a 30-day period where we can have the election," she said.

A petition is currently circulating in Williamsburg to place an alcohol referendum on the ballot, which would allow alcohol sales at restaurants that seat at least 100 people, and derive 70 percent of their sales from food purchases.

Paul Croley, a Williamsburg lawyer involved in the petition drive, said Tuesday morning that he anticipates having more than enough signatures to place the matter on the ballot relatively soon.

"We hope to file the petition before the first of the year," he said.

Whether the petition gets filed in time for both special elections to be held on the same day remains to be seen, but Croley said it is something organizers are considering.

"I don't know that we will have the petition ready to file in time to do it in conjunction with their election," Croley said about the Corbin vote.

From what i understand, there are MANY big backers for this now and big city players wanting this.
I think it will be a done deal after the vote, as long as we have one.