LONGVIEW, TX (KLTV) -
This version corrects the date of the city council meeting.
The Longview City Secretary's office has verified the signatures collected by a group that wants to allow a vote to expand the sale of alcohol in the city.
More than 6,000 signatures were verified by the city secretary. Longview United for Growth needed 5,375 for the petition to be approved. Next, the city council will take up the petition at their next meeting Thursday, February 14 at 5:30pm.
The petition allows a vote for the legal sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption only. That means it will only allow beer and wine sales in businesses such as grocery and convenience stores, and it will not allow additional package liquor sales or liquor stores, except those already approved by voters in previous elections. Currently Longview alcohol sales are based on elections held after prohibition, which legalized alcohol sales on the southern and eastern part of the city to the Gregg-Harrison County line.
"This is a portion of our city that is poised for growth," said Kimberly Fish of Longview United for Growth. "What we are trying to do is open the door for that growth."
In 2007, Longview citizens voted to allow mixed beverage alcohol sales in restaurants.
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