Gwinnett voters will get to decide if local restaurants should be able to serve alcohol a little bit earlier on Sundays.

Gwinnett's Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to add a referendum on the state's so-called "Brunch Bill" to November's general election ballots. Georgia restaurants currently cannot start selling alcoholic beverages until 12:30 p.m. on Sundays, but the new legislation lets voters decide if their local establishments should be able to start selling at 11 a.m.

Proponents for the change have touted it as a pro-business policy. Several other metro Atlanta counties and cities have also called for referendums to be held this fall.

Gwinnett’s Board of Commissioners would set an effective date for the new hours should voters approve them.

Gwinnett residents voted heavily in favor of the county’s last alcohol-related referendum. About two-thirds of voters supported the 2012 ballot item about allowing Sunday package sales.

The county is still weighing whether or not to add another high-profile referendum to November's ballots: one that would pave the way for a new one-cent sales tax and an unprecedented expansion of transit services, including heavy rail.

In other Gwinnett news: 

The more than $5 billion potential road map for new transit, for the first time, includes commuter rail service.

About the Author

Keep Reading

The Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority, which operates Xpress, has said the changes — which will eliminate other routes and decrease frequency overall — are necessary because of ridership declines since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. (AJC File)

Credit: AJC File Photo

Featured

Toi Cliatt, Trina Martin and her son, Gabe Watson, say they were traumatized when an FBI SWAT team raided their Atlanta home by mistake in 2017. (Courtesy of Institute for Justice)

Credit: Courtesy Institute for Justice