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DEL.ICIO.USIf it still twitches and doesn’t reek, it ain’t dead
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A dead bill has a certain smell to it, so pungent that it empties the largest room.
Lawmakers who shouldered it deny their burden ever existed. Lobbyists who suckled the creature until it could toddle to committee submit DNA samples to prove they were neither mother nor father. Party hacks call to swear it was nothing but a 30-page typo.
By all those measurements, S.B. 26, which would allow grocery stores to sell beer and wine on Sunday, is not a dead bill.
The legislation has been shuffled to a Senate committee headed by David Shafer of Duluth, a leader of the state GOP’s libertarian wing, who wants to study the measure. He’s blogged an explanation here, based on Gov. Sonny Perdue’s talk radio comments on the bill earlier this month.
“Although ‘doomed’ is not the word that I would used, I will say there is virtually no interest among legislators in pursuing this issue after the governor’s comments last week. There are simply not the votes - or the will - to override a gubernatorial veto,” the senator wrote.
Others with a knowledge of Senate operations have likewise told us the bill isn’t moving this year.
And yet.
Earlier this week, Perdue seemed to backtrack — at least a bit — on his blanket opposition. Compare this Q100 sound bite with this video clip that Denis O’Hayer of 11Alive snared this week.
And this morning, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce endorsed S.B. 26. This is a group of conservative men and women who — with the occasional exception — don’t buy term life, and don’t publicly aggravate governors who have already put their foot down.
The fact that restaurants already serve alcohol on Sunday, that neighboring states allow grocery stores to sell six-packs of beer and bottles of wine, and that the legislation mandates local referendums all made the decision easy, a chamber spokesman said.
The ultimate decision rests within the Republican leadership of the Legislature.
Democrats at the state Capitol must have their fingers crossed. Many will vote for S.B. 26 if it comes up, but they may hope it doesn’t. The issue could come in very handy later on.
A very smart fellow — meaning neither of us — pointed out the familiar dynamics of the Sunday sales issue.
A significant slice of Christian conservatives object, strenuously. But an overwhelming majority of voters favor the measure, particularly north of I-20. Supporters aren’t necessarily irreligious, but neither do they like government telling them what they can’t do.
It sounds a bit like 1990, when Zell Miller pitched the lottery.
Comments
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By Rick in Lawrenceville
January 25, 2007 8:55 AM | Link to this
State Senator David Shafer (Duluth) and Governor Perdue are not representing ALL the people of Georgia. They intend to represent only those taxpayers that fit their religious and moral values.
Hopefully, voters will remember this when David Shafer runs for re-election. He does not deserve the support of ALL the voters in his district!
By Memory of an Elephant
January 25, 2007 11:58 AM | Link to this
“Oh, say can you see…through the AJC’s spin…what so proudly we hailed…” True, in the long, long ago, the Chamber WAS “gleaming” with conservative red, white, and blue conservative values. But, more recently in the modern, progressively dominated local, state and national Chambers of Commerce…we have come to recognize them to be fully…FULLY, DEMOCRAT dominated.
So, even hinting that the Chamber’s leadership represents Republican values, for heaven sake, is an atrocious, repugnant contradiction of reality!
By JUST TRYING TO HELP
January 26, 2007 8:48 AM | Link to this
Rick, Rick, Rick! What a delight you are. Sen. Shafer and Gov. Perdue DO INDEED act as representatives of ALL THE PEOPLE of your district and of Georgia…but, my boy do you not SEE how no one person could possibly PLEASE both you AND me? While they did not actually get your vote, and will NOT likely vote your way…they received the MOST votes and will be representing ALL of us. “It’s elementary, my dear.”