Sheldon Richman on Arkansas’ Issue 4, Whether to End Prohibition

After national Prohibition ended in 1933, the
Arkansas General Assembly passed a law permitting counties to go
“dry,” that is, to prohibit the manufacture and sale of alcoholic
beverages. Even within “wet” counties, individual communities can
vote to be “dry.” As of today, 37 of 75 Arkansas counties are
“dry,” the rest being “wet” or mixed, which means communities
within a “wet” county have voted to go “dry.” Other counties offer
a “club” exemption that allows restaurants to serve alcohol,
creating a new category, “damp.” But on Tuesday, writes Arkansas
resident Sheldon Richman, voters will have a chance to reject
prohibition and support individual rights when they vote on Issue
4.

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