OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahomans may soon be able to purchase alcohol through liquor store drive-thrus thanks to bipartisan legislation that passed the House Appropriations & Budget Committee on Wednesday with a vote of 22-8.

House Bill 2868, authored by A& B Chair Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston, allows retail spirit licensees to sell alcoholic beverages in their original, sealed containers via drive-thru.

“This bill is about parity,” said the bill’s coauthor Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater. “As alcohol laws continue to be modernized, we need to make sure that our small businesses can keep up with the big box stores.”

The legislation does nothing to remove barriers put in place to curb drinking and driving or dangerous alcohol consumption.

“Drinking and driving is something this body takes seriously,” said Wallace. “This change in state statute doesn’t remove a single safeguard the Legislature has put into place to decrease drinking and driving. Instead, it takes a common-sense approach to protect small businesses who are sole proprietors and local economies.”

House Bill 2868 is now ready to be heard on the House floor.