Kentuckians in wet and moist counties may soon be able to buy alcohol on election days. The Kentucky House of Representatives has passed Senate Bill 13, sponsored by State Senator John Schickel, a Republican from Union. Under the bill, small businesses and tourist destinations along Kentucky's Bourbon trail would also be able to stay open during election days. "This will provide 600 to 700 thousand dollars a year in revenue for only two days of business. No taxes, No appropriations. This is what just two days of business does," said Representative Sal Santoro, a Republican from Florence. The microbreweries association has also endorsed the bill which would allow small-scale distillers of liquor, wine and beer to sell their product on site to customers directly. Dennis Keene, a Democrat from Wilder, noted that the bill has received bi-partisan support from both chambers of the legislature. "The Senate has agreed that these measures are reasonable alcohol regulation bills that enjoy enough support to pass this session," said Keene. A local option remains in the bill, which allows individual counties to decide whether they will allow election day alcohol sales and also does not override the authority of dry counties to determine availability. The Senate is expected to approve the amendments.
