What do you not like about OKC and what do you think could be better?

[Bunty]

Until we get more progressive lawmakers, don't expect many changes to our freedom to purchase alcohol outside of strict hours set by the conservative government.

Still, I don't see what's so impossible about the Oklahoma Legislature passing a law allowing localities to vote on allowing liquor stores to open on Sunday and/or holidays. The Kansas Legislature allowed its citizens that option in 2005. Kansas has a long history of supporting prohibitive laws against alcohol.

Interesting how the Oklahoma Legislature some years back wasn't afraid to let people vote on letting liquor stores open on election days during voting hours. And they did. Maybe that's part of the problem. The people would vote yes to getting rid of remaining prohibitive laws against alcohol when given the chance.

[Dustin]

1. Our bus stops are laughable... Some are nice, but most are just a bench with over grown grass and no sidewalk leading up to them. SOME DON'T EVEN HAVE BENCHES! What's up with that?

2. We need better landscaping better beautification standards.

3. Trash. Everywhere you look, there is trash on the side of the road. Lots of it. We need to put those prisoners to work.

4. Bike lanes and sidewalks. Yeah... Duh, right?

[catch22]

Well sometimes I want breakfast at McDonalds after 10:30. Or Chic-fil-a on a Sunday. But you know what? I can't buy it. So you can't buy products at a liquor store on a Sunday or Holiday? Deal with it. I'd hardly call being able to do that progress. It's really unbelievable what some people fret about.

Neither of those examples are restricted by the government as to what time they stop serving breakfast, or if they are open on Sunday.

Nice try.

[gjl]

Neither of those examples are restricted by the government as to what time they stop serving breakfast, or if they are open on Sunday.

Nice try.

Oh snap. A gotcha. You are so good. Then maybe I want to buy a car on Sunday then. The point is there are things in this world you can't buy at certain times. Plan around them. It's not that hard.

[bchris02]

Oh snap. A gotcha. You are so good. Then maybe I want to buy a car on Sunday then. The point is there are things in this world you can't buy at certain times. Plan around them. It's not that hard.

If you lived in almost any other state you wouldn't have to deal with the insanely idiotic 9PM closing times and having to buy warm beer. In Oklahoma you really can't do a beer run unless you settle for 3.2. You do have to plan ahead, buy it the night before so it will be cold when you want to drink it. If you've lived in any other state this is extremely difficult to adjust to and even people who have lived here their entire life want to see change. The problem is the teetotalers in the state legislature want to legislate their religious beliefs. I imagine the extreme Talibanic conservatives in the state government are significantly more anti-alcohol than the voters at large. They are afraid that if put to the people, more liberal laws would pass and they can't take that chance.

I know I've posted before it's the little things, when you add them up, that significantly lower quality of life in OKC.

[catch22]

Oh snap. A gotcha. You are so good. Then maybe I want to buy a car on Sunday then. The point is there are things in this world you can't buy at certain times. Plan around them. It's not that hard.

Why should the government regulate when a business can and cannot conduct business?

If I want to buy a car at 4am on Sunday morning, and if there is a dealer who wants to be open at that time, why is it the governments job to say we can't do that?

[catch22]

And it's not "in this world" it's: "things you can't buy at certain times in the state of Oklahoma".

We are behind the times.

[gjl]

And in Texas there are counties you cant buy alcohol at all. It's not just Oklahoma. Lots of places in this world have restrictive laws on purchasing products. Not just alcohol. Look at gun laws in other states. But you want to pick and choose liquor laws in Oklahoma and say we're backwards because of them. Why should government restrict gun sales in New York.

[catch22]

And in Texas there are counties you cant buy alcohol at all. It's not just Oklahoma. Lots of places in this world have restrictive laws on purchasing products. Not just alcohol. Look at gun laws in other states. But you want to pick and choose liquor laws in Oklahoma and say we're backwards because of them. Why should government restrict gun sales in New York.

We aren't talking about things being banned. We are talking about the ability to exchange money for a legal product.

Why is buying legal alcohol on a Sunday or holiday any different than purchasing it on any other day of the week?

Why is purchasing a legal, roadworthy vehicle on a Sunday any different than purchasing it on any other day of the week?

If the item is legal, why is the transaction restricted to certain days of the week?

As far as I know, gun sales in NY are highly restricted equally no matter the day of the week.

If the item is legal, there should be no restrictions on what time of day you can engage in a transaction.

[bchris02]

And in Texas there are counties you cant buy alcohol at all. It's not just Oklahoma. Lots of places in this world have restrictive laws on purchasing products. Not just alcohol. Look at gun laws in other states. But you want to pick and choose liquor laws in Oklahoma and say we're backwards because of them. Why should government restrict gun sales in New York.

Texas has only 11 counties that are still completely dry and they are mostly concentrated in the sparsely populated rural west-Central part of the state. Oklahoma has far more counties than that which still restrict liquor by the drink. They would be dry but 3.2 beer is considered "non-intoxicating" so it can be sold. Wet counties in Texas are very wet, with CHILLED strong beer and wine readily available in grocery stores during hours alcohol can be sold, like a normal, civilized state.

Amazing how conservatives here love to justify their backwards laws by pointing to some law in some other state that is really far less intrusive than the one they are trying to justify.

The gun issue is an entirely different debate that I am not going to comment on for the sake of not derailing the thread.

[gjl]

I guess I should have quoted catch 22. Thought most would figure that out.

Why should the government regulate when a business can and cannot conduct business?

And it's not "in this world" it's: "things you can't buy at certain times in the state of Oklahoma".

We are behind the times.

[catch22]

Do you have any answers in response to Post #84?

[bradh]

I am still laughing that "mudding" was brought up as if that is some activity adults living in OKC do on a regular basis.

[gjl]

Do you have any answers in response to Post #84?

Your question is why the laws are the way they are. It's because the representatives of the people that elected them wrote the laws that way. Perhaps you should be directing your question to those legislators, not me. I'm just saying you can easily plan around those restrictions with not much effort. Like I said earlier it amazes me what some people fret about. Is it that difficult for you to plan around those restrictions knowing in full advance what they are? I've never in my life been out of alcohol when I've wanted it because of when liquor stores are required to be closed.

[gjl]

How did we ever get a NBA team with liquor stores and car dealers being closed on Sunday?

[soonerguru]

We aren't talking about things being banned. We are talking about the ability to exchange money for a legal product.

Why is buying legal alcohol on a Sunday or holiday any different than purchasing it on any other day of the week?

Why is purchasing a legal, roadworthy vehicle on a Sunday any different than purchasing it on any other day of the week?

If the item is legal, why is the transaction restricted to certain days of the week?

As far as I know, gun sales in NY are highly restricted equally no matter the day of the week.

If the item is legal, there should be no restrictions on what time of day you can engage in a transaction.

Catch 22, I think the auto dealers association doesn't want to sell on Sundays, same with the liquor store lobby.

[LandRunOkie]

Your question is why the laws are the way they are. It's because the representatives of the people that elected them wrote the laws that way.

And they had the foresight to write the constitution to make it hard to change their handiwork. 8% of the # of votes cast in the last gubernatorial turnout are needed to sign a petition to bring any law change up for a referendum vote. So the representatives have complete control over legislation and voters have virtually none. If you had a tagline below your sn it would be "hostile complacency".

[bchris02]

Catch 22, I think the auto dealers association doesn't want to sell on Sundays, same with the liquor store lobby.

Or is it that it just doesn't bother most people enough for them to push to get it done?

If the people of Oklahoma stood up and demanded modern laws my bet is it could get changed relatively quickly. Most people however either support the current laws or are simply used to it and don't see why changing them should be a priority. Like gjl says, the laws are something that can be worked around, they are just an inconvenience.

[Urbanized]

I'm all for updating liquor laws, but I will say this: anybody who can't get room-temperature beer chilled to ice-cold inside of about 10 minutes is an amateur.

[bradh]

I'm all for updating liquor laws, but I will say this: anybody who can't get room-temperature beer chilled to ice-cold inside of about 10 minutes is an amateur.

i'm listening...

[Urbanized]

Ice chest or bucket of some sort, fill with bottled or canned beer, fill with ice, fill with water. Every minute or two gently slosh it around enough to circulate the water (and the beer inside the bottles), but not so much that you shake up the bottles. In ten minutes or so the beer will be as cold as the ice water in the cooler. Some people will tell you to put rock salt in, and I'm sure that will cut the time even more, but if you can't wait ten minutes for your next beer, seek help.

[bradh]

I figured it had something to do with that, it's amazing how some ice and cold ass water can cool a beer faster than putting them in the freezer for an hour.

[adaniel]

Texas has only 11 counties that are still completely dry and they are mostly concentrated in the sparsely populated rural west-Central part of the state. Oklahoma has far more counties than that which still restrict liquor by the drink. They would be dry but 3.2 beer is considered "non-intoxicating" so it can be sold. Wet counties in Texas are very wet, with CHILLED strong beer and wine readily available in grocery stores during hours alcohol can be sold, like a normal, civilized state.

Very much a "half truth" here. Anyone who is even remotely familiar with Texas liquor laws would laugh at the notion that they are in line with a "normal, civilized state."

There are very few truly wet counties in TX. You forgot to mention the 194 "damp" counties out of 254, of which contain a labyrinth of rules and regulations that differ by cities, counties, commissioner district, Justice of the Peace precincts, etc. I can literally go to a gas station north of me and half the store that lies in one JP precinct is full of booze while the other half that lies in another JP precinct you would literally risk arrest selling alcohol there. The store must maintain two separate registers so at least one is in the wet JP area.

Also, you are incorrect as the majority of counties in OK are completely wet, and there are technically no dry counties in Oklahoma. At a minimum you can buy at least low point beer. In a handful of dry municipalities in TX you cannot even do that. I should add the vast majority of Dallas is considered dry, although in most places you can buy low point beer.

And while I find liquor laws in both states to be rather antiquated, I would be lying if I said any of it stopped me from getting ****faced drunk when I wanted to. So I will ask, what is stopping you?

[trousers]

Water is the key. The ice alone just won't do it.

[bradh]

Yeah Texas liquor laws, minus being able to buy strong (good) beer and wine at grocery stores, are just as crazy. Liquor stores aren't open on Sundays, in DFW as adaniel stated if you live in the Mid-Cities you have to drive to Dallas or Fort Worth if you want bourbon or other liquor, and up until a decade ago when the Texans came into the NFL, you could not buy any alcohol at grocery or convenience stores before noon on Sunday. Was never an issue before because the Cowboys always played 330pm games, but if you were a Texans tailgater (as I was) you could not buy booze on the way to the noon kickoffs. I can't remember if they moved it to 10am or did away with it completely.