At first glance, this year's ballot contains exactly what people think it will. Important races for President, Senate, Congress, County Commission and plenty of other elected offices will all be on there. But there's a down-ballot issue that shouldn't be overlooked - the vote to repeal (or uphold) the law regarding food sales at public places (restaurants, bars, breweries, etc.) where alcoholic beverages are sold. Specifically the ballot question states, "Shall sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink in Johnson County be allowed in public places without a requirement that a portion of their gross receipts be from the sale of food?" Several of the chambers of commerce in Johnson County have indicated their full support to repeal this law (a YES vote is for repeal). The Gardner Edgerton Chamber Board of Directors does not typically take a stance on issues like this, but as someone who has tried to land a brewery here in Gardner (unsuccessfully so far), I encourage you to think about it from a business standpoint and vote accordingly.

Here are a few resources to learn more about the issue, how it came to be and what repeal would mean..

• Brief review of alcoholic beverages in Kansas
• Map of Kansas liquor by the drink 
• Press release from Shawnee Chamber of Commerce supporting the repeal and FAQs
• Recent article in the Kansas City Star highlighting positive impact of repeal

Imagine if your business, any business, had to sell so much of X product to be allowed to sell Y product. It just doesn't make a lot of sense. I'm not here to tell you how to vote, just to encourage you to look at the issue and think about the opportunities it might open up for businesses to grow in Johnson County, including here in Gardner.