St. Patrick’s Day alcohol bill dealt setback in Georgia Senate

Savannah will have to wait to give cheers, but the day may be coming.

Although the Georgia Senate defeated plans Monday to allow Sunday alcohol sales in bars on St. Patrick’s Day, supporters have kept the measure alive and are likely to win a chance to take another vote.

The setback for Senate Bill 318 came by the slimmest of margins. The floor vote was 28-20 in favor of the bill, but 29 votes were required for passage. By then, opponents had cast the measure as another tear in society's moral fabric. Supporters, meanwhile, said the bill gave local municipalities control over the issue since they would be the ones deciding whether to allow on-site consumption of alcohol on Sunday in establishments other than restaurants.

"What values do we want this state to represent?" asked Sen. Bill Cowsert, R-Athens, whose legal practice includes defending clients against alcohol-related offenses. "Our moral culture … is in decline now."

Sen. Steve Thompson, D-Marietta, would have none of that: "I'm tired of these artificial sins."

Sponsored by Sen. Lester G. Jackson, D-Savannah, the bill originally would have also allowed bars to serve on Sundays during the Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays. That language, however, was stripped on the floor, leaving only St. Patrick's Day as the beneficiary of the bill.

St. Patrick’s Day bar sales had been requested by the City Council in Savannah, which hosts one of the nation’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parades and festivals.