Georgia college students may find more stores selling beer and wine closer to campus under a bill lawmakers passed Thursday.
House Bill 517 would let local governments decide the distance between college campuses and stores selling booze.
The bill was amended by the Senate to require that stores set aside at least 85 percent of floor space to non-alcoholic items. The House signed off on the change.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Chuck Williams, R-Watkinsville, has said he filed the measure because of a grocery chain considering a store in Athens.
The University System of Georgia – which includes the University of Georgia – took a neutral stance on the bill.
HB 517 now advances to Gov. Nathan Deal.
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