Earlier this year Shreveport councilman Grayson Boucher pushed to amend Shreveport’s out-dated liquor ordinance to allow sales in grocery stores.

Shreveport is the only city in the state that does not allow hard liquor to be sold along with beer and wine in grocery stores.

Cuban Liquor and Thrifty Liquors lobbied the council hard to maintain the monopoly of Shreveport liquor stores.

Council John Nickelson vehemently objected to Boucher’s ordinance. After several tries, Boucher gave up his fight.

Nickelson may now regret his opposition.

The former Circle K building on the corner of King’s Highway and Gilbert may soon become a full service liquor store.  The council will make this decision on Tues. Oct. 8.

When previously before the council last year, the chambers were filled with residents from the Highlands and South Highlands objecting to a special use permit approved by the MPC to allow the store.

The council vote was a 3-3 tie. Council member Stephanie Lynch was absent.

The tie was ruled to favor the special use.

Litigation to stop the store was filed. A Caddo court recently kicked the issue back to the council for resolution.

If the liquor in grocery store amendment had passed, the push for the new liquor store may have abated. Simply put, Brookshires (and other full service grocery stores) would have been selling hard liquor this summer.

There is a Brookshires two blocks west of the Kings/Gilbert intersection. Hard liquor sales at that location would undoubtedly have dented any demand for a liquor store at the old Circle K location.

Last time, council members James Flurry, Jerry Bowman JR and Willie Bradford voted for the store. Jeff Everson, Oliver Jenkins and Mike Corbin opposed the store.

Flurry, Bowman, and Bradford are back on the council. It is expected that both Nickelson and Levette Fuller will be pushed hard to vote against the liquor store.

How Boucher will vote will be interesting. He has sided with Nickelson and Fuller on most critical votes, and he may stick with his newbie buddies.

James Green is new to the council, but he has prior service. He has dealt with liquor stores in neighborhoods during his last term. His vote will probably be the decisive one.