Nebraska beer stores near reservation lose liquor licenses
LINCOLN, Neb. — Four Nebraska stores that sell millions of cans of beer each year near a South Dakota Indian reservation lost their liquor licenses Wednesday amid complaints that they fuel alcohol-related problems among members of the Oglala Lakota Tribe.
The state ruling marks a monumental shift for Whiteclay, an unincorporated town with nine official residents on the border of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The stores have operated in town for decades despite criticism that the area lacks adequate law enforcement to enforce state liquor laws and prevent violence and sexual assaults.
Advocates who wanted the stores closed erupted in cheers as the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission voted 3-0 not to renew the stores’ licenses. The stores are expected to appeal the ruling. Their licenses are set to expire on April 30, although a district court judge could allow them to stay in business until the appeal is resolved.
“I never expected this to happen,” said Bryan Brewer, a former Oglala Lakota Tribe president who had called on state officials to close the stores. “I’m just really surprised and thankful. Now, we have to start our healing process.”