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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2007 > January > 31 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USLiquor lobby tries to draft Georgians
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
And now, a Super Bowl Sunday message from your friends in the liquor business: get rid of Georgia’s Blue Laws or face the prospect of more boozeless big games in the future.
The Washington D.C.- Distilled Spirits Council sent out a release Wednesday reminding Georgians that they won’t be able to buy liquor on Sunday because of what it calls “Georgia’s outdated Blue Law” banning alcohol sales.
Lawmakers are considering a bill allowing local voters to decide whether to allow beer and wine sales at stores on Sunday. Liquor industry officials would like the bill to be amended to include distilled spirits as well. Gov. Sonny Perdue has already expressed his opposition to the proposal.
David Wojnar, vice president of the council, said annual Sunday sales of distilled spirits in Georgia could generate $29.1 million to $40.7 million in sales and $3.4 million to $4.8 million in additional tax revenue.
Georgia is one of three states with a complete ban on Sunday beer or wine sales.
“These archaic laws hinder consumers’ ability to purchase spirits for their Super Bowl parties and deprive state coffers of additional tax revenue that would be gained from year-round Sunday sales,” Wojnar said.
Perdue has already explained to Georgians how to solve their Super Bowl party problems. “Think of it this way,” Perdue said in a recent radio interview. “It really helps you plan ahead for the rest of your life - buying on Saturday, rather than Sunday. Time management.”
Permalink | Comments (19) | Categories: Liquor Laws
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By Beer Drinker
February 1, 2007 9:05 AM | Link to this
They may pass the law but local yokels will still insist no sunday sales
By Beretverde
February 1, 2007 9:52 AM | Link to this
As a transplanted northerner to Georgia for over 22 years, it is appalling that Georgia is in the bottom tier in education. Maybe this can explain the idiotic out-dated blue laws? We will always be a joke and a second class state. With the lack of traffic planning, poor educational system and out dated blue laws… I am leaving Georgia before the year is out. It has served its purpose.
By JK
February 1, 2007 9:53 AM | Link to this
this may be exactly what we need a little oustide help on this thing. they need to put alcohol,beer and wine on it and sell it 24 hours a day like every where else. we dont need or want sonny purdue or saddie fields telling us what we can and cannot buy becuase of there religion. no one gives a damn about these laws anymore except for religous zealots just like sonny and sadie.
By uncle jessie
February 1, 2007 10:19 AM | Link to this
Beretverde, Ain’t you ever heard o’ shine or bootleggers, thats how we gets a drank on Sunday. Bo or Daisy kin show you the ropes. Boss Sonny and the preachers all know this.
By Becky Barrett
February 1, 2007 10:29 AM | Link to this
Anyone in economic development would appreciate Georgia doing away with many archaic ways. I still can’t fathom how these bible thumpers can justify stepping into the ring where they don’t belong when the game being played deals with legitimately increasing revenue in the state.
By Nathan Boggs
February 1, 2007 1:23 PM | Link to this
It’s not just Georgia. Just look a few miles to the west and you will see a state (AL) far behind GA. The entire south has its head stuck in the sand. Everyone looks at southern states with ridicule. Take ATL out of GA and GA is nothing but a big hick state. In fact, it is a hick state with ATL. 20 miles South, East, West or North and there are nothing but backwards people more focused on Sunday liquor sales than the poor state of their economy. Funny thing is that these same religious zealots can make peace with lottery gambling.
By DKW
February 1, 2007 2:49 PM | Link to this
Sure let’s make Sunday sells legal. Right now my Sundays are spent doing paperwork on the DUI arrest I made on Friday and Saturday nights. So why not made it legal and add a few more impaired drivers to the roadway. P.S. Beretverde, do you need help packing? The north must not have been so great or you would have stayed there.
By JK
February 1, 2007 3:11 PM | Link to this
HEY DKW..who cares what you do on sunday.those previous DUI’S have nothing to do with sunday sales and once you get 20 minutes outside the perimeter your in a f’n dogpatch and you know it. which is probably where you grew up considering your spelling. jesus freak cop.
By kJ
February 1, 2007 3:27 PM | Link to this
Georgia does need to ammend the beer and wine bill to include alcohol. These bluelaws are outdated. If the laws are going to changed to allow people to vote locally to sell beer and wine on Sundays, alcohol should be included. The laws against alcohol sales serve no purpose. Its rather backwards and stupid.
By Sonny's response
February 2, 2007 9:06 AM | Link to this
This is the Governor’s office’s reply to an email about these stupid blue laws. Maybe I should have used better time management and not have bothered at all.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts concerning alcohol sales on Sunday. It is important for me to know what issues are on your mind. So that this situation can be addressed to your satisfaction, I encourage you to discuss your ideas with your state legislators. Should you need their contact information, it is available from your county board of voter registration. The members of the General Assembly in your district can actually sponsor or vote on legislation on your behalf. When such legislation reaches my desk for signature, I will give very careful consideration to the concerns you have voiced.
I appreciate your making me aware of your interest in this matter as a Georgia citizen.
By True Southerner
February 2, 2007 10:27 AM | Link to this
You can call us idiots, yokels, bible thumpers or what ever you want. Please remember that we did not ask you to move to our GREAT State of Georgia. You chose to move to the south on your on volition. Why do you want to change what we have already made a beautiful place to live? If not for the snow and ice it would be just as easy for you to use I-75 and I-85 to head back up north where you think it is so much better. Please leave at your earliest convenience…I hear you can get a beer on Sundays up there.
By Mike
February 2, 2007 11:58 AM | Link to this
Having to drive to a sports bar to drink and watch a game only adds to the number of drunk drivers. If the police weren’t so busy directing traffic out of church parking lots on Sunday they would see the drunks that are already on the road on Sundays. We need to refer to these so-called ‘blue’ laws as ‘Baptist’ laws instead because 90% are there to appease the religious zealots.
By JK
February 2, 2007 12:50 PM | Link to this
true southener: we will call you all those names because thats what you are and half of the people that are calling you these names were born here.were not going anywhere. we are going to change all of you idiots,yokels and bible thumpers into respectable citizens like us. you didn’t make anything a beautiful place to live.you just put your trailer on 1/16 acre of land and now you think your somebody.there isn’t any snow or ice anymore and there never really was you tool and before too long we will be able to get a beer on sundays here.you like apples??how do you like them apples??? if you don’t like us turning atlanta into an international city for culture,art,entertainment and most important economic reasons then you move. were taking over you hickory nuts get use to it. now that the flag is gone all we need to do is get rid of all you “necks” and then it will be “all good”. true southerner my a*.
By bka
February 5, 2007 8:13 AM | Link to this
Obviously a polarizing issue… I encourage all of you who are dissatisfied with where you live to move as soon as possible as far away as possible. It could be nicer for those who remain. Instead of spending time writing diatribes about why you don’t like living here, take two minutes and look up your state respresentative and senator (at georgia.gov) and write them with your stance on this bill and all of the other things you care about. It does make a difference because they do tabulate emails on issues. Get happy people—geez!
By Bubba Gump
February 5, 2007 10:05 AM | Link to this
NEWSFLASH
Delta has a flight out of Atlanta virtually every hour of the day, if you dislike it here so much, I encourage you to fly Delta jets…
As we attempt to take our traditional approach and change it, I remind those with dire needs to buy liquor or beer on Sunday, that not all that is done elsewhere is needed here.
If nothing else, a closed liquor store or darkened beer aisle sends a subtle message to everyone about how small we really are in the scope of life.
Grow up, whiners, but your booze on Saturday, and laugh at your buddies that did not think ahead, like we have all been doing here fo’ eva’.
Yeesh, next thing ya know, no more Hard Liquor and Gun nite…
By Ann Mintz
February 5, 2007 10:55 AM | Link to this
The proceeds of Sunday sales could effectively be used to fund community based mental health and addictive disease prevention and treatment programs.
The legislature should allow counties to make the decision whether or not to allow sales and be able to dedicate the considerable amount of proceeds to these programs.
Currently, community-based mental health and addictive disease efforts are seriously underfunded.
By Robert
February 5, 2007 11:45 AM | Link to this
These laws are broken and out of Date no Question.
Hey Cop I do not care how much Paperwork you have to do it is your JOB.
Hey Beretverde, I move her in 82 and it was bad the Rednecks were really Bad at least I thought so till I went back to my Home State of Indiana and Ohio and found out something Important. The only people Left up there are rednecks. I saw more Hick redneck losers in Indianapolis than i see in a week in Atlanta. So go back if you want But guess what Not my lose. I consider this home and all we have to do is Subvert the Will of the Dang Hypocritical Baptist to make this a GREAT STATE
By cdd
February 5, 2007 12:13 PM | Link to this
Why should anyone move if they don’t like something about their society. We can always change our laws. It’s not like they are carved in stone. Hello Sunday liquor sales.
By wake up
February 14, 2007 10:06 AM | Link to this
The law makes no sense. There is no law banning drinking alcoholic beverages on Sunday, what difference does it make to ban the purchase ? The law is discriminatory, and caters to the beliefs of one religion. What happened to the separation of church and state ?