A bill prohibiting Oklahoma lawmakers from drinking while on the job has been quite controversial.
“You know, I’ve encouraged that bill not to be heard because it is unconstitutional,”
Stopping senators for drinking on the job, unconstitutional. Fixing schools to keep a Bible in every classroom? Perfectly ok.
For reference, Oklahoma has quite a history with alcohol prohibition. The state retained full prohibition until 1959, some 20 years after the 21st amendment and repeal of the Volstead Act.
Liquor by the drink, aka bars, were not legalized until 1984. Before then you had to pay a membership fee to join a “private club” where you could then have a bartender pour you shots out of “your” personal bottle that was kept behind the bar.
Oklahoma had 3.2 beer until 2018 when it was repealed by state referendum.
People really love an easy scapegoat to problems that are clearly caused by other factors.
Now I don’t think drugs and other addictive items should be super cheap and readily available to everyone because that can encourage addiction and dependency (it’s why we have taxes and age limits) , but . Drug addiction is mostly a symptom, not a cause.
I mean it can fuel a cycle. But it’s not the dominating factor.
People are driven to drug addiction for reasons.
Maybe addressing those reasons is harder than just banning a drug. But people will always want to self medicate.
At least when it’s legal it’s regulated and safer.
Oklahoma focusing on drug bans will just make people huff ethanol. Or spray paint. Or make moonshine which is way more potent.
And it will allow criminals to flourish by selling the illegal goods that people want but can’t get the legal way.
This bill is simply making it so Oklahoma state lawmakers cannot drink while on the job. Which apparently is a problem.
(Our First Lady has crashed two state vehicles under the influence. No blood test, no loss of license. Governors son was drinking and caught with guns he wasn’t supposed to have. There were no consequences.)
There was stuff stronger than 3.2, 3.2 was just the limit for grocery stores and gas stations. Anything else had to be from the liquor store, and couldn’t be cold. So you were out of luck if you wanted Dogfishhead or nicer brews that needed to be refrigerated.