Sunday alcohol sales debated again in Senate

Critics of Sunday alcohol sales legislation told a key committee Wednesday that passing the bill would be both an attack on the Christian Sabbath and lead to more drunken driving and underage drinking.

But backers of the measure said the public overwhelmingly wants Georgia to end its prohibition on stores selling beer, wine and liquor on Sunday.

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The two sides aired familiar arguments before the Senate Regulated Industries Committee, which will likely vote on the proposal next week. This is the third consecutive session the committee has considered the bill, which would allow local voters to decide whether to allow store alcohol sales on Sundays.

Nate Bednar, pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Atlanta, called the bill “another tear in the moral fabric of not only this state, but this country.”

Natalie Shore of the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce said, “We believe this is an issue of basic economic fairness. This has been a singling out of one group on one specific economic exchange.”

Alcoholic beverages can already be sold on Sunday in restaurants and bars in many parts of Georgia.

The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States says Georgia is one of three states with a total Sunday ban on beer, wine and liquor sales at stores. The others are Connecticut and Indiana.

The bill is backed by the grocery and convenience store lobbies and other business groups.

It is opposed by religious groups such as the Christian Coalition of Georgia — who object to sales on the Christian holy day — and some liquor store owners who don’t want to have to open on Sundays.

Independent polls have generally shown support for the idea of letting local voters decide the issue. An Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll in January 2008 showed about two-thirds of respondents supported the idea.

A Web petition drive supporting Sunday sales garnered about 50,000 signatures last year, and backers also started a page on Facebook.

Kyle Branch, a zone manager for Kroger, said Sunday is the highest volume sales day in many grocery stores.

Convenience store officials say they lose business in border areas of Georgia to stores in South Carolina and other states that can sell on Sundays.

But several opponents said they feared it would lead to increased drunken driving and more drinking by minors.

Jim Beck, head of the state Christian Coalition, has worked with lawmakers to add more teeth in the bill to fight underage drinking.

The Rev. Ray Newman of the Georgia Baptist Convention noted that supporters tout Sunday sales as a way to bring in more tax revenue.

“What’s more important, a few tax dollars or the safety of our families?” he asked.

While many critics of the bill made public safety arguments, they acknowledged there is a religious basis for their opposition as well.

“The majority of our citizens still have Sunday as a day of worship, a day of rest,” Newman said. “I see this as a further encroachment on the Lord’s Day.”