In this news segment for Houston’s KPRC-TV, State Representatives Wayne Connally and Curtis Graves comment on a liquor-by-the-drink bill under consideration during a special session of the 60th Texas Legislature. The segment aired on June 4, 1968. Connally shares his support, pointing to how such legislation will raise revenue. Graves takes issue with the bill’s mini-bottle provision, and expresses his desire for more direct liquor legislation. In the May 4 election, Texans voted 2,318 to 210 in favor of liquor-by-the-drink legislation, which would allow the sale of mixed alcoholic beverages in restaurants and bars. On June 18, the Texas House approved a law that would legalize the public sale of liquor by the drink in two-ounce bottles. The measure died in the Senate 10 days later by a three-vote margin. The possibility of liquor by the drink legislation was a prominent topic during the 1968 election season. The practice would not be completely legalized until 1971, when the legislature responded to a public referendum by creating a mixed beverage permit authorized on a local-option basis.
Share this video
