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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2007 > January > 26 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USSpeaker says liquor should be part of any vote
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If Georgians are going to be able to vote on allowing Sunday beer and wine sales, hard liquor ought to be part of the equation, House Speaker Glenn Richardson said Friday.
While offering no personal opinion on the merits of Sunday sales, Richardson told reporters, “If we’re going to put that out there for sales of beer and wine, do we also allow spirits to be sold?
“It seems logical to me if we’re going to consider it, we consider all those issues - letting voters decide and putting spirits with beer and wine. I don’t see any difference between those two. If we’re selling one we should let the voters decide if they sell both.”
Senators have sponsored a measure to allow local voters to decide if they want to allow stores to sell beer and wine on Sundays. Grocery and convenience stores, which are pushing the bill, can’t legally sell liquor in Georgia.
The liquor store industry has opposed the legislation, in part because it didn’t include the sale of hard liquor.
Jim Tudor, a lobbyist for the convenience store industry, said supporters of the Sunday sales bill are willing to consider adding liquor.
“If there is a legislative will that this (liquor) would be added, this is not something we would object to,” he said.
Adding liquor to the equation may win over some in If Georgians are going to be able to vote on allowing the liquor store industry, although the bill is still strongly opposed by conservative Christian groups, such as the Christian Coalition of Georgia and the Christian Alliance. Gov. Sonny Perdue also opposes it, although in recent days, he has backed off comments that lawmakers interpreted as a promise to veto the bill.
Both Richardson and the presiding officer of the Senate, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, said Friday that they wouldn’t get involved in the bill’s movement through the General Assembly.
Richardson said it would get a vote in the full House if it passes the Senate and is recommended by a House committee.
He called the current Sunday sales ban a “time-honored tradition” in the South, although Georgia is now the only Southern state to have a complete ban on Sunday sales.
“As a general rule, most people go to church of whatever faith on Sunday … and we don’t sell beer on Sundays,” Richardson said. “It’s just one of those traditions. And I don’t think Republicans are doing anything other than trying to very carefully measure if we want to put that out there and let the citizens end that tradition.”
Cagle said the bill “presents a little bit of a concern, or a little bit of a struggle, personally for me, being a Southern Baptist.
“The truth of the matter is, having the local option in there in the bill is difficult to deny the people of Georgia the ability to express their views on it.”
Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment | Categories: Liquor Laws
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Comments
By ZMan
January 26, 2007 04:38 PM | Link to this
I cannot believe we are even considering this. Alcohol kills millions, and 1 day of the week without it is fine. Leave this day for Christ and not alcohol.
By Ralph
January 26, 2007 04:45 PM | Link to this
Let the people vote. Glenn Richardson is right. It is not his place to decide. It is up to the voters in Georgia.
By Gail
January 26, 2007 04:50 PM | Link to this
It is my right as a tax payer to vote on this issue. It is about personal choice, not religion.
By JK
January 29, 2007 08:54 AM | Link to this
HEY Zman!!! why is it so important for you to stop me from buying alcohol on sundays? because of christ? well what if everyone doesn’t agree with your religion? is that right? NO!!!! If i go buy a 12 pack and a dozen buffalo wings for the falcons game does that mean it’s not christ’s day anymore? i don’t think that way and if you do then you have a pretty thin faith. snap out of it!!! it’s time to move georgia out of those days and out of that train of thought. atlanta has 4 million people in it and it is considered the NEW YORK of the south so lets start acting like it. move georgia forward so we can get caught up with the rest of the counrty and all of the business’ on the georgia border can compete with our neighbors for the revenue.it’s time for a new georgia!!! cheers…..
By Scott
January 29, 2007 09:22 AM | Link to this
I agree with letting the voters decide, but let’s not get carried away….New York of the South? That is not a desirable outcome, and there are quite enough folks down in Atlanta for reasons that scream the area has more than “caught up with the rest of the country.”
By ej
January 29, 2007 09:24 AM | Link to this
As a college student this will actually make me want to vote.
By JC
January 29, 2007 10:05 AM | Link to this
Vote on it. I could never figure out the sense of being allowed to go to a restaraunt on Sunday and getting drunk and then having to drive home (thus putting your life and others at risk) but you can’t go and buy your alcohol, take it home and get drunk there. Wouldn’t it be safer to drink at home? I too observe Christ on Sunday but would feel safer if people were drinking at home and not driving under the influence to get home.
By JK
January 29, 2007 10:41 AM | Link to this
i think it’s an outstanding outcome and i don’t know the “reasons” your talking about. if your talking culture atlanta is a dog patch in comparison with L.A. and N.Y and the reasons for that are opressive attitudes such as blue laws and the christian mentality.i like georgia it’s beautiful and some of the people are great but you have to admit that redneck mentality is still a stigma that georgia can’t shake. this will help. it will loosen the grip the religious zealots have on our gov’t if thats what you want to call it.
By KC
January 29, 2007 11:11 AM | Link to this
Save Sunday for Christ and not alcohol?? Why do so many Christians think alcohol is sinful? Jesus was sinless, Jesus drank alcohol, therefore alcohol cannot be sinful. Jesus not only drank wine, but he even performed a miracle to make some!
By Guy Pinestra
January 29, 2007 01:50 PM | Link to this
KC,
I think you hit the nail squarely on the head! Jesus said, “Let him among you who is without sin cast the first stone.”
By uncle jessie
January 29, 2007 02:14 PM | Link to this
Politicians like whiskey almost as much as cute little… Having a vote on beer & wine without liquor, that like voting on flag without Rebel cross, remember that.
By JS
January 30, 2007 09:22 AM | Link to this
Putting liquor on the bill is the. right thing to do. It won’t make sense to vote on beer and wine now and then have to vote on liquor later. Push for a beer,wine and liquor bill now. They or all the same. Give Georgia citizens the right to decide if they want to buy alchol on Sundays.
By BRC
January 30, 2007 11:59 AM | Link to this
As a frequent visitor to Atlanta, I can’t help but roll my eyes at the ciy’s self-proclaimed “World Class” status, when you can’t even buy a bottle of wine on Sunday. These archaic blue laws have no place in Metro Atlanta or anywhere else! To allow them to continue, based on “Christian” (translation: Southern Baptist) tradition, defies the separation of church and state — it’s that simple.
By Jason
January 30, 2007 03:45 PM | Link to this
Christian” (translation: Southern Baptist) tradition, I would add evangelical to that phrase as well. They are right in line with fundamentalist Muslims on alcohol use, abortion, gay rights, evolution, prayer in schools and gay adoption.
By Alex
January 30, 2007 04:46 PM | Link to this
This is a silly issue to even be fighting over. Some of those same people arguing the point probaly keep a cooler full of beer for the falcons game on Sunday. Hey! God rested the seventh day, so are we going to cancel footballs games and going to mall to. Please this is ridiculous, I can gamble, go the strip club and drink at a restaurant…WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE!!! I bet some of these same people would love to still have OLD GLORY, flying over the golden dome too. Times change and so do people, this issue should be voted on and moved on from. This brings the state into the mainstream and is long over do, if anybody should worry it’s bootleggers. My point is people are going to drink no matter what laws are on the books. I’d take a driver passed out in their living rooms over them being passed out in the front seat of their car anyday. Liquor should’ve have been part of any discussion from the get go. Remeber also that Jesus first Miracle was turnig water to wine, not my words…SCRIPTURE!!!!
By Alex
January 30, 2007 04:55 PM | Link to this
Sorry for the typos above, just an emotional issue and reasonable will know exactly where I am coming from.