Pearland’s 51% rule requires businesses to make at least 51% of their profits from non-alcohol-related sales, according to the city. The law dates back to the Prohibition era in Texas.
If the petition passed, it would create a ballot item for Pearland voters to vote on the existing 51% rules in Pearland.
According to the release, of the 11,325 signatures reviewed of the more than 18,000 total signatures submitted, 4,613 were determined to be invalid, making it mathematically impossible to meet the required 15,050 signatures to bring the 51% rule to ballot consideration. The petition was submitted July 20.
According to the release, signatures are deemed invalid if a signer resides outside of Pearland’s city limits, if a signer is not a registered voter for city of Pearland elections or if a signer appeared on the petition more than once.
Seth Thompson, Pearland Entertainment and Beverage Coalition chair, told Community Impact Newspaper the PEBC and the city of Pearland are still in the process of reviewing the data. The PEBC is the political action committee created to circulate the petition.
Both the city of Pearland and the PEBC declined to make an official statement on the petition’s status when contacted by Community Impact Newspaper.
According to Pearland’s website, the next step is for the City Secretary Crystal Roan to present the results to Pearland City Council, regardless of whether the petition contains the required number of signatures. The petition must be recorded in the minutes of City Council, according to the city’s website.
The city secretary will present the results to council at the council meeting Aug. 23, according to the release.
