Rural towns in Alabama now have more freedom in deciding whether alcoholic beverages can be sold within their corporate limits.

Thanks to a new law enacted by the Alabama Legislature, any town with 1,000 or more citizens may put the wet/dry issue on the ballot with signatures from 30 percent of the town’s most recent election turnout.

Thorsby and Jemison fall into this category. Of course, the city of Clanton is already wet while rural Chilton County remains dry.

The town of Thorsby is getting close to putting the issue to a vote. With 145 signatures counted, they only need 14 more signatures from registered voters to close the deal.

The city of Jemison is also rumored to be working toward a referendum, though attempts to reach city leaders for an official count were unsuccessful Monday.

We think it’s a good thing that these cities and towns can vote on this issue. While not everyone will agree that revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages is the way to go, at least the people in each town can vote on it. This is a decision that should be made by locals, not somebody in Montgomery.

Because this referendum may be included in next year’s elections, it doesn’t have to cost municipalities anything.

Regardless of one’s stance, it cannot hurt to vote. These kinds of freedoms are what America is all about. If indeed there are enough signatures to warrant a referendum, then let the people speak and decide what they want — or do not want — for their town.