After a month long initiative to gather signatures for Quitman residents to vote for the legal sale of beer and light wine, a recent written opinion from Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood has halted that effort.
Quitman Mayor Eddie Fulton requested an opinion a month ago for the required amount of signatures that would be needed on a petition. The amount of needed signatures varies depending on the population in a municipality. The written opinion stated that a city with less than 2,500 population can’t petition for beer and wine, but only for liquor.
The written opinion was different than a verbal discussion Fulton had previously with staff at the AG’s office.
“This information is different than what we received via phone call, but this (written opinion) is now the basis for us to act on,” Fulton said.
Fulton said because voter rolls have not been purged there are less than 2,500 registered voters; therefore the referendum will not make it to a ballot for beer or wine.
The effort to legalize the sale of liquor can still move forward if the petition has enough signatures of certified registered voters.
The county would have to initiate a petition for beer and wine.
