NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (AP) _ Partygoers floating on the Comal and Guadalupe rivers can no longer bring beer cans.
New Braunfels voters have upheld a controversial ban on disposable containers.
The New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung reports that the measure passed Tuesday with 58 percent of the vote.
The City Council enacted the ban in August, but local businesses led a backlash to force the ballot referendum.
Opponents say the crackdown on disposable containers will hamper the local economy by driving away tourists who flock to the city’s rivers each summer.
Supporters say the ban is about reducing trash that winds up in the river. They denied accusations that the ordinance is a veiled effort to prohibit alcohol and keep rowdy crowds away.
The ban will take effect Jan. 1.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)