Baldwyn Referendum passes, allowing alcohol sales on Sundays
After the Board of Alderman voted down alcohol sales on Sundays, the board crafted a referendum to let the public decide.
BALDWYN, Miss. (WCBI) – Baldwyn is split between Prentiss and Lee Counties.
And until July of last year, residents could only purchase alcohol on the Lee County side of town.
That’s because Prentiss is still a dry county while Lee is wet.
But the Mayor and Board of Aldermen took advantage of new state legislation allowing the small town to choose to make the whole town wet.
After Tuesday’s vote, they are now poised to take the next step, passing an ordinance allowing beer and wine sales on Sundays.
Ward 2 Alderwoman Tonya Billips said she’s happy to give the public a voice.
“The citizens having a voice is everything,” Billips said. “I work for the citizens. I represent this town. So, me having to make that choice on my own is not really what I wanted to do because my opinion might not be everybody’s opinion.”
One Baldwyn resident, Michael Rakestraw, thinks putting the matter to a vote is a positive development.
“I think that’s good, I think everybody ought to have a say,” Rakestraw said.
Rakestraw said allowing beer and wine sales on Sundays is a part of personal freedoms.
“Well that’s what our country was founded on,” Rakestraw said. “Freedom of speech. Freedom of choice.”
Lakyn Jones, a Baldwyn resident, said people should be able to buy whatever they need on Sundays.
“Saturday and Sunday is people, when they’re on their weekend break from work, right,” Jones said. “So why can’t they just go and get what they need on a Sunday?”
Billips hopes the good coming from the change will outweigh any possible bad outcomes.
“It does bring in revenue into the town,” Billips said. “But then, we also may have crime from it. We’re hoping to see a positive out of it, and less negative.”
Mississippi was the last state to repeal its statewide prohibition laws in 1966.
