Wet/dry issue won't be put to vote until November

Petitions have been circulating in the cities of Diboll, Hudson, Huntington and Zavalla to put a stop to alcohol sales in their town, with hopes of getting the issue on the upcoming city/school elections in May.

According to a story in the Lufkin Daily News on Friday, Bill Shanklin, Angelina County's elections administrator, was quoted as saying people in Hudson and Zavalla had gathered enough signatures to force a May wet/dray election in those cities, but their petitions came in too late based on state law according to John Hatch of Texas Petition Strategies, the group that helped force Angelina County's wet/dry election last year. Angelina County voters approved the sale of alcoholic beverages at convenience and grocery stores throughout the county in the last November's election. On Saturday, the publication had to revise and recall.

Rev. Gary Fannon of Diboll's First Baptist Church, who, along with members of the church were instrumental in putting the petition together to place the issue on the city's May election ballot, said Monday, “We were told this past Friday by a representative from Mr. Shanklin's office and I think it's just a communications breakdown and interpertation of portions of the election laws. The way we understand it, the Angelina County Commissions Court, which must approve the election, cannot vote to set another wet/dry election until their next regular meeting 30 days after a petition has been turned in. They also can't call a special meeting.”

For this to be on the May ballot, the petitions would have needed to be considered at the February 26 commissioners' meeting, which means they should have been turned in to Shanklin's office by Jan. 26.

The Diboll petition, with at least 294 signatures needed, will not have to be turned in until March 5.

Shanklin said, “The election laws contains many ‘shall's' and ‘may's. In this case, my office should have not used the ‘may' consider holding the petitions 30 days prior to submitting them to the Commissioner's Court, but rather ‘shall' hold the petitions 30 days. That means you “will” hold them for 30 days and that is where the confusion began.”

Shankin also added that in addition to the petitions already turned in and pending, he understands that citizens of Burke may add a petition of their own.