Walmart Could Start Selling Liquor Soon in Texas
A federal judge made a ruling this week that could lead to big changes in the Lonestar state.
A Texas law was deemed to be unconstitutional this week by U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman. The Texas law forbids publicly traded businesses from owning liquor stores while allowing family-owned companies to grow into giant chains without fear of competition from large national or international corporations.
“For decades, these laws have stood in stark contrast to Texas values,” said Travis Thomas, spokesman for Texans for Consumer Freedom, which advocates for free-market reforms in Texas. “The State of Texas should not pick winners and losers in private industry.”
The losing side is obviously going to appeal this ruling and that means more time in court. If they fail, you could be picking up a bottle of tequila at stores like Walmart in the future. Experts say this could be in court at least a year, longer if it reaches the Supreme Court level.
“Texas is the only state in the nation that issues package store permits to privately owned corporations, but refuses to let publicly owned corporations participate in the retail liquor market,” said Walmart spokeswoman Anne Hatfield. “Walmart filed suit because these laws are unfair and hurt our customers. We are grateful for Judge Pitman’s thoughtful opinion, finding that these laws violate the U.S. Constitution.”
BONUS: Throwing Bottles of Tequila Off the World's Littlest Skyscraper