While Sunday liquor sales won approval in suburban Kansas City, the southwest Kansas town of Satanta remained one of only a few in the state that still prohibit the sale of packaged liquor.

The suburbs of Olathe, Shawnee, Gardner and Edgerton on Tuesday joined several cities — mostly along the border with Missouri — that have approved Sunday liquor sales since a 1949 prohibition was successfully challenged.

A Wyandotte County District Court ruled that local governments can opt out of the law prohibiting Sunday sales, and the ruling was upheld by the Kansas Supreme Court.

Sunday sales passed with 61 percent of the vote in Olathe, 63 percent in Shawnee, 60 percent in Gardner and 58 percent in Edgerton.

Opponents have raised concerns about alcoholism. But proponents say Sunday liquor sales allow the communities to better compete with Missouri, where not only liquor stores but also grocery stores, convenience stores and discounters such as Wal-Mart can sell liquor.

Meanwhile, in Satanta a proposal to lift a ban on the sale of packaged liquor fell 233 to 224.

While people can buy beer locally at a grocery, convenience store or tavern, if they want liquor or wine they have to make a 30-mile round trip to Copeland, or a 60-mile trip to Ulysses, Liberal or Hugoton.

Supporters had said the proposed change would have kept revenue from draining out of the county. But opponents, including church leaders and the Haskell County sheriff, said alcohol hurts families.

In other notable local issue elections in Kansas:

• A 1 percent sales tax to finance a $185.4 million downtown sports arena in Wichita was approved 52 percent to 48 percent with all precincts reporting, the Sedgwick County election office reported on its Web site Wednesday. Backers now plan to lobby the Legislature for approval of the tax.

“I would not expect a lot of resistance from the Legislature in passing this,” said Sen. Les Donovan, R-Wichita, who is vice chairman of the Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee.

• Topeka residents voted 66 percent to 34 percent to change the city’s form of government. The vote throws out the strong mayor-council form of government and replaces it with a city manager, hired directly by the nine-member council, and a mayor with little power.
• Voters in Shawnee County, which includes Topeka, agreed 59 percent to 41 percent to ask for the appointment of a commission that will form a plan to consolidate city and county governments, or functions of those governments.
• Plans for an events center in Dodge City can proceed after Ford County voters rejected a bid to get rid of a half-cent countywide sales tax. The tax is paying for several projects, including the arena, an auto racing track, improvements to the civic center and a baseball/softball and a soccer complex.
• A Shawnee County judge under fire for his sentencing in some rape cases narrowly avoided an attempt to remove him from office. The vote to retain veteran trial judge Franklin Theis was 51.2 percent to 48.8 percent with all precincts reporting.

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