PULASKI COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The owners of numerous bars in Arkansas have filed a lawsuit against the state, seeking to have COVID-19 regulations overturned.
The bar owners filed the lawsuit in Pulaski County. Gary Barnett is listed as the attorney on the lawsuit.
The respondents listed on the lawsuit are Dr. Jose Romero of the Arkansas Department of Health, Governor Asa Hutchinson and Director of Alcohol Beverage Control Doralee Chandler.
The lawsuit says bars are losing money due to the closing time being at 11 p.m. instead of 2 a.m. at most Dickson Street bars.
The lawsuit claims that the only business type that was regulated under the November 19 directive was bars. The lawsuit says the majority of business is between 10:30 and 1:45 a.m. and the operation during these hours is how the business can survive.
It also alleges that Governor Hutchinson and Dr. Jose Romero used the most restrictive means to regulate the bar business and the respondents didn’t regulate the hours of business for any other industry.
The bars included in the lawsuit are:
- The Amendment
- Boar’s Nest BBQ
- Bugsy’s
- Buster Bellys
- C4
- Cannibal & Craft
- Crossroads Tavern
- Kingfish
- Los Bobos
- Maxine’s Taproom
- On the Mark
- The Piano Bar
- Pinpoint
- Ryleighs
- Shotz
- Sideways
- Smoke & Barrel
- Speakeasy
- Stir
- Van and Company
- West End
- Yee-Hawg
