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Panel clears narrowly tailored bill to let Barling access Fort Smith’s alcohol waiver
Summary
Senate Bill 2‑65 would let the city of Barling, which is largely encapsulated by Fort Smith, access the same waiver that allows Fort Smith to permit alcohol sales despite Sebastian County being dry; proponents said the bill is tightly written to apply only to the specific adjoining district.
Senator Garner presented Senate Bill 2‑65 as a narrowly tailored change to allow Barling — a city largely encapsulated by Fort Smith and encompassing part of Chaffee Crossing — to obtain the same waiver Fort Smith has that permits alcohol sales in an otherwise dry Sebastian County. Sponsor and supporters said the measure was drafted with municipal attorneys and the Municipal League to avoid opening a wider pathway for other cities.
Senator Matt Pitch and others described the geography: Barling is effectively surrounded by Fort Smith except near Chaffee Crossing, and the bill limits the waiver to the adjacent area to preserve the countywide dry status unless voters choose otherwise. Committee members asked whether the bill circumvents countywide votes; sponsors said it was designed to be narrow and that Barling had requested the change for local economic development. The committee moved and passed the bill by voice vote.
