Amended bill would give Johnson City power to set alcohol sale hours
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — An amended bill that would give the Johnson City Commission the authority to set its own hours for alcohol sales downtown will be up for discussion in a subcommittee meeting Tuesday.
House Bill 1361 and Senate Bill 1155 were initially filed by State Rep. Rebecca Alexander and Sen. Rusty Crowe on Feb. 6. When first introduced, the language of the bill sought to provide a grace period on tax returns related to alcohol sales.
JC Commission asks for state legislation that would allow alcohol sale hours change
However, the text of the bill has since been amended practically in its entirety. An amendment signed by Alexander states the bill would only affect the 'downtown district' of a 'home rule municipality in a county having a population of not less than one hundred thirty-three thousand (133,000) and not more than one hundred thirty-three thousand one hundred (133,100), according to the 2020 or a subsequent federal census.'
In 2020, a census found the population of Washington County, TN was 133,001.
The bill would grant a city meeting those requirements to set its own hours in the downtown district for licensed businesses to sell or give away alcoholic beverages.
The House Departments & Agencies Subcommittee will discuss the amended bill Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. The entire amendment can be read below:
HB1361_Amendment (004732) by murry.lee26 on Scribd
On Feb. 13, the Johnson City Commission unanimously passed a resolution to support state legislation that would give the city the ability to limit the hours in which alcohol is sold downtown. City manager Cathy Ball provided data in a presentation and claimed the purpose of seeking the legislation was to promote safety and make better use of police resources.
Johnson City mayor talks next steps for alcohol sale hours resolution
During that Feb. 13 meeting, Ball told commissioners that a bill had already been filed with state lawmakers awaiting the city's approval before moving forward.
Several downtown business owners and those who work in downtown bars and businesses attended the meeting to voice their opposition and claimed that forcing an earlier last call would have economic consequences for the city.
News Channel 11 has reached out to Rep. Alexander and Sen. Crowe for further details on the bill.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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