New state law banned a county’s gas stations from selling liquor. So some stopped selling gas. (McKinley County, New Mexico [home to members of Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo])

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | September 18, 2021 | Patrick Lohmann

[CedarDave]

A one-paragraph amendment to the state Legislature’s new, sweeping alcohol reform law gave owners of gas stations in McKinley County a choice: You can sell hard liquor or you can sell gas.

To Benjamin Gonzales, manager of the El Sabino’s grocery and gas station in Vanderwagen, it was a “no-brainer.”

“We stopped selling gas July 1, the day the new liquor law went into effect.”

The store is one of at least three in the county that covered its gas pumps in plastic in recent months, a direct response to the law, according to store employees, residents and county officials. The law prohibited gas stations from selling liquor in the county, so the stations stopped selling gas to circumvent the ban.

The choice to stop selling gas in rural parts of the county has stranded some motorists and added another inconvenience to life near the border of the Navajo Nation, residents said.

It also demonstrates the difficulty legislators face in crafting policy to help cut down on alcoholism and drunken driving in the area, both scourges that cost dozens of lives in the county each year.

State Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, who lobbied for the amendment, said the gas stations’ choice to close “wasn’t unexpected.” But he said it represents a choice owners made to put profits above an essential service.

One gas station in the county sells 80 gallons of vodka a day, Muñoz said. Gonzales said El Sabino station makes about $8,000 a day in hard liquor sales but just about $2,000 a day on gasoline.

[CedarDave]

Daily life in the Land of Enchantment

[billorites]

One of the saddest nights I've ever spent was in Gallup, NM.

Bodies passed out in the street, parking lots, just awful.

I understand why so many native communities adopt dry policies.

[CedarDave]

According to the NM DOT, in 2019 McKinley County had the highest rate of alcohol-involved car crashes in the state — 20.5 per every 10,000 people, The county also had about 150 alcohol-related deaths per 100,000 people between 2013 and 2017, according to the NM Health Department. That’s also the highest in the state.

[T.B. Yoits]

The clowns in the State Legislature who failed to think this one through need to be banned from buying alcohol and gasoline for a year minimum.

[CedarDave]

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[qaz123]

But he said it represents a choice owners made to put profits above an essential service.

Scum Democrats always try to make someone feel guilty, if they don’t go along with their narrative.

[pepsi_junkie]

It also demonstrates the difficulty legislators face in crafting policy to help cut down on alcoholism and drunken driving in the area

I don't know, backdoor banning gasoline sales will do wonders to end drunk driving. Give the legislature credit for solving that problem. What's that? Your wife is about to have the baby and you can't get tot he hospital because there's no gas? Huh. Well, drink up and hope for the best!

[rktman]

No liquor in the rear? 😂

[Little Ray]

Put a kiosk outside to handle gas sales.
Make the convenience store a separate entity from the gas sales.
Fixed.

[PapaBear3625]

It will just be temporary, until the owner creates a new corporate entity to sell gas, and puts a separate booth out next to the pumps.

[dragnet2]

It also demonstrates the difficulty legislators face in crafting policy to help cut down on alcoholism and drunken driving in the area, both scourges that cost dozens of lives in the county each year.

Is this why states allow alcohol billboards along side highways.

[BBB333]

We had a drive through window at the State Liquor Store at the second college I attended.

A few of my friends - collectively - owned an old airport transporter (a looooooooooong sedan with four sets of doors) affectionately called ‘The Limo.’

We would pull up to the order window to order - four times. Lots of fun for football games. And we won the National Championship that year as well (NCAA Division 1-AA - the championship was/is ALWAYS played off in a large bracket until champion is determined, usually in mid January).

We purchased gasoline next-door...

[Still Thinking]

State Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, who lobbied for the amendment, said the gas stations’ choice to close “wasn’t unexpected.” But he said it represents a choice owners made to put profits above an essential service.

So it's now up to sellers to know buyers' needs better than the buyers do themselves?? Typical top-down fascist elitist attitude. Pricks.

[pepsi_junkie]

But he said it represents a choice owners made to put profits above an essential service.

Gasoline and alcohol are not given out by charities. The service station owner buys them and sells them for profit and thus stays in business. Tell him he has to choose between the two and only sell one and i do not blame the business owner for the unintended consequence of leftists trying to force people to do things the way they want them to.

[CedarDave]

No liquor in the rear? 😂

No, but he keeps a small supply of gas in the rear for those that run out of it at the station. He can give it away, but he can't sell it.

[Still Thinking]

Modify them cars to run on everclear and problem solved!

[Sans-Culotte]

New state law banned a county’s gas stations from selling liquor Fire Water.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

It also demonstrates the difficulty legislators face in crafting policy to help cut down on alcoholism and drunken driving in the area

Because bureaucrats have godlike powers to control the world through their magical legislative ability.

[Tupelo]

I don’t think life on any of the reservations would be possible without alcohol.
Most are grim gritty places with little or no retail commerce outside of gas stations / liquor stores, tobacco shops and maybe a casino or two.
Life is hard. Damn hard.

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

The wonders of centralized planning. Unintended consequences easily foreseen.

Well, damn... that didn’t go the way we planned.

Its not our fault (said the electiot bureaucrats).

Blame the dirty owners for using logic and reason and looking at their damned P&Ls and then making rational decisions based on our stupid rules.