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Sunday sales could boost Ga. revenue[February.16.2009]Conservative Christians oppose Sunday sales By MATT SCHAFER Harp re-introduced his bill from last session that would authorize Sunday sales of alcohol and this year he has more support from legislators. “The financial [reasons] help, but the main reason why I am proposing what I am proposing is because I feel like it’s the right thing to do,” Harp said. Harp’s bill would call for a referendum where voters could choose county by county whether they wanted to allow Sunday sales of alcohol from grocers, liquor stores and gas stations. Despite a number of attempts last session, the bill died without reaching a floor vote. This year Harp claims he has more support, including co-signer state Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville), who chairs the powerful Senate Rules Committee, and a number of Democratic co-sponsors. As of press time Harp’s bill awaits a hearing in the Senate Regulated Industries & Utilities Committee. MILLIONS TO BE MADE? Although Harp likes to champion Sunday sales because it is “the right thing to do,” he may be getting more support for financial reasons. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Georgia collects 92 cents in excise taxes and, on average, around 76 cents in sales tax on every 750 milliliter bottle of liquor sold in the state. Based upon the increase sales, DISCUS expects Georgia would see a revenue lift of $3.4 million to $4.8 million with retail stores seeing $29.1 million to $40.7 million in sales from liquor by the bottle sales alone. Since 2000, 13 states have lifted Sunday sales laws, and a DISCUS study shows an 8 percent rise in total revenue for stores. Publix officials recently told the Associated Press that Sunday sales could mean $1.4 million in excise taxes and $3.3 million from sales tax. “Of the 12 other states there has clearly been an increase in revenue for the stores and the state,” DISCUS spokesperson Ben Jenkins said. “I think the stores are seeing an 8 percent increase in sales, so its evidence that it’s not just spreading out the sales over a week.” Most of the opposition is from conservative Christian denominations. Harp, a lifelong Methodist, says he understands their feelings, but the majority of Georgians want Sunday sales. “I’m not one of these people who likes the thought of a minority running the show,” Harp said. State Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) sponsored legislation in 2003 that would have allowed voters to choose a 4:30 a.m. closing time or eliminate alcohol sales for their city or county. “My particular interest was about the gay bars in Atlanta,” said Drenner, the only openly gay state legislator. “It was back when they were having such a fight with the city about closing time. It was my intent to eliminate the distinction between bars and restaurants. … The other thing was to allow the citizens in the city or county to vote via referendum as to what bar hours were going to be.” In 2003 when Democrats controlled the House and the Senate, Drenner’s bill failed in the Senate by three votes. She said she would consider bringing back a bill to eliminate the difference between bars and restaurants, but also expressed concern about Harp’s bill in the House. “I’m not sure it can pass the House now because of the conservative nature of the Republican Caucus, and [Gov. Sonny Perdue] has expressed that he will veto if it passes,” Drenner said. © 2009 The Southern Voice | A Window Media Publication |
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