Georgia Sunday alcohol sales law faces test today
Sunday alcohol sales are currently illegal in Georgia, with limited exceptions (on-premise, at sports events, etc.). Today the Georgia state Senate panel will vote on a bill to allow Sunday alcohol sales. We here at Monday Night Brewery are, of course, rooting for the free market to knock some sense into the current legislation. According to the AJC,
Backers this year are touting the additional revenues selling beer and wine on Sundays could bring the cash-starved state. Opponents maintain it would sully what is a day of worship to many Georgians.
I am also a member of the Facebook group “Tell Sonny Perdue to Keep His Veto Pen Out of My Sunday Booze,” which has a few members going down to the legislature to protest today. If you’re in the area, throw out some “good beer vibes” and hopefully we can get this thing rolling.
Georgia is notoriously backwards in their beer legislation (though admittedly we have it better than Alabama). While Sunday sales wouldn’t be a huge step forward, it could certainly be the beginning of a series of laws making it easier to sell and buy craft beer in Georgia. And for that we are excited.
UPDATE: The vote was delayed for one more week because no one showed up. Thanks, legislators.
Photo via Silver Starre
Bad news. The vote was postponed until next week, because not enough lawmakers showed up to work today. Wish I could get paid to not show up.
http://www.georgialegislativewatch.com/
“Opponents maintain it would sully what is a day of worship to many Georgians.”
That’s rich, I tell you. It’s a good thing Jesus did his thing on the Sabbath and not Sunday or he would have been out of luck, since he and the whole crew seemed to really enjoy alcohol in moderation.
Well, guys… I wish you luck. You may finally come to your collective senses…
BTW, for some interesting history on the national legalization of homebrew, check this out:
http://www.reason.com/news/show/131411.html
Senate Bill 16 (Sunday Alcohol Sales)
Senate Regulated Industries Committee Members Emails:
david.shafer@senate.ga.gov
eric.johnson@senate.ga.gov
ed.harbison@senate.ga.gov
gloria.butler@senate.ga.gov
steve.henson@senate.ga.gov
jack.hill@senate.ga.gov
dan.moody@senate.ga.gov
jack.murphy@senate.ga.gov
mail@mitchseabaugh.com
doug.stoner@senate.ga.gov
ross.tolleson@senate.ga.gov
renee.unterman@senate.ga.gov
tommie.williams@senate.ga.gov
Please contact and feel free to pass out these email addys to friends to contact them and show your support to senate bill 16
“Georgia is notoriously backwards”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
This is easy. Separation of church and state. Enough said.
Hey Owen,
The church doesn’t have a vote. People vote, therein is the separation. We know that the religious right have advocated the laws banning Sunday liquor sales from their inception but it is the people who vote not the institutions. Changing the antiquated perception of these individuals through logical discourse is the only solution. The problem is no one is paying attention, listening or even cares.
The vote to maintain the status quo is a reflection of the fear of change. No one feels that this issue is of any consequence one way or the other and are indifferent to a perceived or real affect on our lives, so why change the law “if it ain’t broke”.
There must be a compelling reason to change the present law (i.e. increased tax revenue, reduction in alcohol related incidents outside the home) in order to motivate the people (not the church) to insist on change.
is it ya want to progress toward the liberal left.