A dispute has erupted in Alabama regarding Sunday beer sales and sales of draft beer in Millbrook and Wetumpka. State Senator Bryan Taylor is opposed to the idea, and state Rep. Paul Beckmann and local officials support it. At issue is whether the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, operators of a casino in Wetumpka, should be excluded. At the tribe’s casino, bottled beer and other alcohol are served but not draft beer and there are no alcohol sales on Sundays.
Taylor’s measure excluded sales at the Poarch Band’s Wetumpka facility. He said Sunday beer sales there could undercut local businesses. “I represent the taxpaying business owners and restaurant owners in Elmore County. I don’t think we should let the tribe dictate whether or not those businesses ought to be able to offer the same draft beer as Prattville,” Taylor said.
Beckman responded, “If the sales are going to go down in Wetumpka, the Indians aren’t going to be excluded. I’ve got people in Autauga County and Elmore County that work for them. Whether you like it or not, they’re the biggest employer there. We’re picking and choosing who we want to associate with. I don’t think that’s the Alabama way.”
Taylor said he believed he had support in the Senate for his bills. “I would be surprised if an official basically said, ‘All or nothing.’ I don’t think that’s fair to our restaurants and business owners who just want a level playing field when it comes to draft beer.”
Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley said Taylor was the only local lawmaker blocking the proposal. “Why does something like this go to the legislature? We don’t go to the legislature to change speed limits. Two mayors and two councils unanimously approved this thing.”
Robert McGhee, director of government relations for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, said the tribe “abides by current Alabama Beverage Control laws. We just felt there should be parity. It’s not that we would serve draft beer. We’re not set up for it. We support all businesses in that area, and we think all businesses and individuals should be treated the same.”
In other news from the Poarch Band, the tribe recently announced it has created a Native American studies program that will focus on the history, culture and modern life of the tribe at the University of South Alabama. The program will be funded in part by a $500,000 gift from the tribe.
The Poarch Creek Indians are descendants of a segment of the original Creek Nation, which covered almost all of Alabama and Georgia. Unlike many other eastern Indian tribes, the Poarch Creeks were not removed and have lived in and around the reservation in Poarch, located eight miles from Atmore. The tribe is the only federally recognized Indian tribe in Alabama. Poarch Creek Indian Gaming manages Wind Creek Hotel & Casino in Atmore; Wind Creek Wetumpka in Wetumpka; and Tallapoosa Casino in Montgomery.
