As published in the Austin American Statesman, a bill supported by Wal-Mart to legalize the sale of Liquor in Wal-Mart Stores (and other stores owned by publicly traded companies) is officially dead this legislative session. 

The article quotes the bill’s sponsor in the Senate, Sen. Kelly Hancock as stating ‘time to move on to other things.’ The bill – Senate Bill 609 – would have ended a Texas policy that prohibits publicly traded companies from selling liquor. 

Part of the reason the bill died, as noted in the article, is that lawmakers in Austin were reluctant to vote on the bill when there are currently two cases currently pending in Court regarding the same issue – one in Federal Court and another in Travis County District Court (in Austin). 

A spokesman for Wal-Mart who was quoted in the article stated in regard to the state of Texas’ opposition to Wal-Mart’s lawsuits:

“(T)hese unconstitutional laws are restrictive and designed to prevent competition, which is contrary to a free market system and limit consumer choice,” Lopez said. “Our ability to already serve Texans with beer and wine shows we can coexist with small stores and private liquor chains. We are not seeking special treatment to serve our Texas customers, just equal and fair treatment.”

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