The House has passed a bill to impose a cap on liquor store ownership in Tennessee, sending the measure to Gov. Bill Haslam's desk.
The chamber voted 72-16 to pass the measure sponsored by Republican Rep. Curry Todd of Collierville on Monday after extensive debate about why the state should protect package store owners from competition.
Todd, who pleaded guilty to drunken driving with a loaded handgun in his car after a 2011 traffic stop in a Nashville neighborhood, said his bill was necessary to control what he called a dangerous product.
Todd invoked Jesus in a House floor statement in support of the bill, denied he was "in the pocket" of special interests and cited his law enforcement experience in dealing with lives ruined by drugs and alcohol.
Posted
Scripps Only Content 2015
