Liquor stores could open on Sundays if Comanche County residents vote yes in November election

Liquor stores in Comanche County would have the option to be open on Sundays after Comanche County Commissioners unanimously submitted a ballot to the Comanche County Election board on Monday.

The question will be on the General Election ballot on Nov. 5 for qualified voters in Comanche County.

Seven counties in Oklahoma allow packaged liquor to be sold on Sunday. Comanche County would be the eighth to allow sales on Sunday and the fourth biggest county to do so behind Oklahoma, Tulsa, and Cleveland counties.

Trent Logan, County Commissioner for District 1, said it was his idea to submit the liquor store ballot. The ballot is intended to help Comanche County generate more tax revenue from the alcohol sales to use toward expenses in the county, but Logan also believes that the government shouldn’t be telling retailers when and what they can sell.

The ballot proposition asks: Shall sales of alcoholic beverages on Sundays by retail spirits licensees be allowed in Comanche County, Oklahoma?

Donna Kappus works at East Gore Liquor and believes that stores in Comanche County are better off staying closed on Sundays.

“I think they should stay closed,” said Kappus. “There’s too many small stores without enough employees.”

West Cache Discount Liquor manager Matthew Boiles thinks that the proposition is hit or miss for most stores, with his store being a miss.

“Stores in other counties that are open on Sundays only do half days. It doesn’t make sense to be open an extra day for five hours unless it’s a holiday,” said Boiles.

John Wolfenbargar owns Shady Lady liquor on 11th Street in Lawton and another location in Elgin. He said that he has been pushing for liquor stores to be open on Sundays for a long time and is glad that the county commissioners submitted the ballot.

“As a local retail business,” said Wolfenbargar, “I believe that we should be open just like Walmart, Stripes, or any other retail store.”

Fluffy’s Liquor on Northwest Cache Road said that they would open on Sundays right away. Manager Katie Mustonen said that sales will most likely just shift throughout the week. Sales that happen during the week might get pushed back till the weekend.

“If that’s what folks want and vote for,” said Mustonen, “that’s what we’ll give them.”