At its meeting Tuesday night, Mississippi State University’s Student Association Senate passed a resolution stating the student body is in agreement with the proposed changes to the City of Starkville’s alcohol ordinance.
Currently, Ordinance 2009-06 states alcohol cannot be sold within a 250-foot radius from a school, church or funeral home.
The proposed amendment adapts the minimum Mississippi statutes, which allows alcohol to be sold within 100 feet. It would also allow the current legal alcohol content for beer to be raised from 5 to 9 percent. The hours of sale for alcohol would be extended from 12 to 1 a.m.
The Senate’s Resolution 22 outlines some places where changing the ordinance would have the most impact: the Cotton District, Main Street, Russell Street and the 182 corridor. It also states the resolution would benefit business owners and residents, as well as MSU students and alumni.
“This is an excellent opportunity for senate to act as a voice for the students and make an impact that the students feel,” Senator Lexi Landry said.
Landry wrote the resolution and spent nearly three weeks putting it together. However, she said the work was not exactly daunting.
“I wanted to be thorough in my research, so last Thursday I went to the bars and stayed until they closed, and at 12 o’clock they were still full of students who would have been more than happy to stay another hour,” Landry said.
The resolution urges Starkville’s leaders to consider not only the positive effects of the amendment but also the negative effects turning away from progress will have on the city.
Landry said the student body is not the only one in support of changing the alcohol ordinance.
“The Greater Starkville Development Partnership, the Starkville Visitors and Convention Council, the Starkville Main Street Association, the Golden Triangle Restaurant Association and the owner of the Pop Porium are all in support of this,” she said.
Resolution 22 passed unanimously. Instead of having a senate meeting next week, the group will take a “field trip” to the Board of Aldermen meeting on Sept. 19 to formally present the resolution.
“This is a sentiment of the student body from the senators that were elected. We will present it to City Hall formally at the Board of Aldermen meeting,” Vice President Layton Little said. “So, while it’s not required of us to do that, especially with it impacting the local community and Mississippi State students, we feel like we should go present that to them.”
The Board of Aldermen will host its second public hearing on the issue on Sept. 19. Afterwards, the aldermen will possibly take it up to a vote.
