MADISON COUNTY, Ky. — The National Prohibition Act of 1919 banned the sale and transportation of alcohol. After its repeal, Kentucky counties had the right to vote whether to be wet (allowing alcohol), dry (not allowing alcohol) or moist (alcohol allowed in certain situations or areas).

Now, one moist central Kentucky community is hoping to become a wet county, making alcohol sales legal countywide.

What You Need To Know

  • Wesley Browne, a Madison County resident, is petitioning for Madison County to shift from moist to wet

  • Feb. 7, 2023 is the deadline to collect a minimum of 10,000 signatures from residents

  • Counties can opt to be wet, dry or moist for alcohol sales, and individual precincts can then decide to be wet or dry

As of Friday, over 7,500 signatures still have to be collected from people living in Madison County before the deadline to get it on the May 16 ballot.

Wesley Browne is the owner of Apollo Pizza, but also has practiced law for 24 years. He started the petition for “Madison County Alcohol Vote” because he was frustrated with laws in the county. All signatures will be submitted to his law firm, Browne Law Office.

Currently, the city of Richmond is wet—meaning alcohol is sold in restaurants and stores. Berea is moist, meaning a restaurant can serve alcohol, but it cannot be bought from stores.

Outside of that, individual precincts in a county can then vote to be “wet or dry”. According to the Alcoholic Beverage Sales of Kentucky, 10 of the state’s 120 counties remain dry. 

“Our legislature should’ve addressed this, but it’s like a lot of other issues and they’re afraid of it. It’s just easier to leave this bad situation in place, not alienate any voters that they think they’ll lose,” Browne said. “We shouldn’t have to do this. We shouldn’t have to spend [money], we shouldn’t have to fight to have the rights of another business a mile away, but we do and we’re living with that.”

One of Browne’s Apollo Pizza locations in Richmond falls into a precinct that’s dry. He said that’s a similar story with other businesses, because it results in economic and tourism losses, and often prevents new businesses like grocery stores from coming to the county.

Currently, the petition has almost 9,000 signatures but they know that some might be duplicates or invalid, so the goal is to collect at least 10,000.

If you’re interested in signing the online petition, you are required to be a Madison County resident and be at least 18 years old, before the Nov. 2023 General Election.

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