Supporters of Sunday store sales of beer, wine and liquor began their latest crusade Tuesday to end Georgia’s blue laws on booze.
As has been the case the past two years, how far they get may depend on whether teetotaling Gov. Sonny Perdue continues to fight their legislation.
Under the bill filed Tuesday by Sen. Seth Harp (R-Midland), local governments could call elections to let voters decide if they want to allow Sunday sales at grocery, convenience and liquor stores. Among the co-sponsors of the bill are Senate Rules Chairman Don Balfour (R-Snellville) and Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock). The support of Balfour matters because the Rules Committee decides which legislation is voted on by the Senate.
Rep. Roger Williams (R-Dalton), chairman of the House Regulated Industries Committee, has said he will file similar legislation in the House.
Alcoholic beverages can already be sold on Sunday in restaurants and bars in much of Georgia.
Perdue’s opposition has dampened the debate for the past two years because he would have to sign the bill into law. Supporters have also said Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, the Senate’s president and a 2010 gubernatorial candidate, has been cool to the idea. Cagle told reporters last week he would “not stand in the way” of the bill in the Senate.
The Georgia Food Industry Association, which represents grocery stores and is pushing the bill, has beefed up its lobbying team. Two lobbyists close to House Speaker Glenn Richardson —- Tony Simon and Sam Choate —- have been hired to lobby for the change. Derrick Dickey, a former Perdue staffer, is also part of the lobbying team.
Members of the public have also gotten heavily involved in the issue. An online petition drive collected more than 50,000 signatures for Sunday sales last year.
On the other side of the issue, conservative Christian groups, such as the Christian Coalition and Georgia Christian Alliance, have rallied the opposition to Sunday sales, saying stores shouldn’t sell alcohol on the Christian Sabbath.
