Video: Talks Of Legalizing Alcohol In Calhoun County

BRUCE, Miss.(WCBI)—In 1933 prohibition ended and Franklin Roosevelt gave all 50 states the option to lift or leave the ban on alcohol.

33 years later Mississippi lifted the ban making them the last state to jump on the bandwagon. Though the ban is lifted many Mississippi counties wish to remain dry, until recently.

Preserving the city is the theme as city officials in Calhoun County prepare to open the floor to discuss the legalization of alcohol.

“The legislature passed a bill where the county seats could have; alcohol, beer, and liquor. Since that happened one of my businesses here in town has been hurting because the same business in Pittsboro can serve alcohol,”said Bruce mayor Rudy Pope.

Bruce Mayor Rudy Pope is spearheading the conversation. He reached out to surrounding cities to see if they are feeling the same impact and to work toward a solution.

“These meetings are to see what type of interest we going to have. There will be three meetings, Thursday we will have it here. 15th we will have it in Vardaman and the 16th we will have it in Calhoun City. We want to get everyone in the county involved in this so we can get this thing passed,”said Pope.

Calhoun county has been dry for several years now.

“Mississippi is the most religious state in the Union and Calhoun County might be the most religious county. I think that’s the reason we’ve been dry all this time,”said Pope.

Bruce resident Sput Deaton says he thinks the county could use the economic boost.

“It would be a boost to the tax base. Anybody that wants any form of alcohol can go some where else to get it. We are wet for liquor in Pittsboro. It’s tax dollars going somewhere else everybody’s got their own vices. You’re going to take care of them no matter where you got to go get it,”said Deaton.

Pope says it’s one thing to get the city leadership on board but residents are another matter..

” A lot of people won’t sign a petition that’s the main thing. We have to get 25 percent of the qualified voters to do this. I found out we can put the petition in the paper. All they have to do is cut it out send it to us and all that,”said Pope.

The first legalization meeting will begin at 6 o’ clock Thursday night at Bruce city hall.