Texans Might Finally Be Able To Buy Liquor From Costco, Thanks To Judge's Ruling
Customers in Texas may soon know the joy of buying a nice bottle of whiskey while also stocking up on 48 rolls of toilet paper and a few rotisserie chickens, because a Federal judge recently ruled that a law barring publicly traded companies like Costco, Target, and Walmart from selling hard liquor was unconstitutional.
According to the Texas Tribune, Texas is the only state in the U.S. that does not allow publicly traded companies to have retail liquor licenses. Three years ago, Walmart filed a lawsuit against the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, arguing that the liquor license restrictions unfairly kept Walmart and other publicly traded businesses out of the market for no good reason. On Tuesday, March 20, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman sided with Walmart.
Texas' current liquor store owners could face a great deal more competition if some of the country's biggest retail giants were able to start selling liquor in Texas. The Texas Package Stores Association, which represents Texas liquor store owners, said it would appeal the judge's decision. That means Walmart won't be selling liquor in Texas right away, but it could eventually be allowed to. For more weird facts about the retail giant, check out these 20 things you didn't know about Walmart.