Oklahoma Commission Says They Will Not Enforce Bar Curfew on New Year’s Eve
Looks like those lawsuits are stopping the ABLE Commission from enforcing Governor Stitt's curfew.
Back in mid November, we let you know about Oklahoma's curfew for bars, where they had to shut down at 11 pm. They could still offer curbside or to go, but no bar guests were allowed in past 11. About a week and a half later, we found out that a group of bar owners were suing Governor Stitt over his curfew. Looks like those lawsuits are stopping the ABLE commission from enforcing that curfew.
The ABLE commission is the Alcohol Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission. By their name, you can probably guess what they do. With an 11 pm curfew in place, that means people can't ring in the new year and we all want this year to be over. Now technically, the six bars suing the Governor are the ones that could stay open without any punishment. However, the ABLE commission says they will not be enforcing any punishments while this legal battle is going on.
The hearing is scheduled to now take place on January 8th. Part-owner of Ray's Speakeasy in Tulsa Mary Glory says not being able to open for New Year's Eve would've been devastating. "Telling us that we can't be open past midnight on New Year's Eve, you're cutting our throat. That's the biggest night of the year," she said.
She says opening late without worrying about repercussions from ABLE will directly impact families. "Every little bit you put into these small businesses; it helps families. It's not just about the bartender, it's not just about the bar." We will see what happens on January 8th with this lawsuit. Until then, I guess bars can enjoy the later hours.