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Political Notes – Another state allows Sunday sales

Capitol Impact
by Tom Crawford on 4/14/2008

Colorado has become the 35th state to repeal a state law that prohibited the Sunday sales of alcoholic beverages, leaving Georgia in a shrinking pool of states that still enforces such a ban.

Gov. Bill Ritter signed into law Monday a bill adopted by the Colorado Legislature that will allow Sunday alcohol sales at liquor stores, effective July 1.

Colorado finalized the Sunday sales law just days after the 75th anniversary of the official end of Prohibition, last century’s unsuccessful experiment to make the U.S. legally dry.

“Like Colorado, Georgia consumers deserve increased convenience, more choices and equal access to their beer, wine and spirits products,” said Peter Cressy, president of the Distilled Spirits Council.  “Seventy-five years after the repeal of Prohibition, Georgia continues to cling to Prohibition-era Blue Laws that inconvenience consumers and businesses alike.”

Colorado is the 13th state since 2002 to eliminate a Sunday sales prohibition, Cressy said.  Georgia is one of only 15 states that still keeps Blue Laws banning Sunday sales on the books.

Although alcohol can be served at sporting events and restaurants on Sundays, Georgia still bans package sales of beer, wine and liquor.  A serious move was made in the General Assembly this year to overturn that ban, but Gov. Sonny Perdue indicated he would veto the Sunday sales legislation.

"Six days is plenty" for the sale of alcoholic beverages, Perdue said.  "We need a little relief on Sunday."

That stance provoked yet another verbal dispute with House Speaker Glenn Richardson.

"I find it very hypocritical that on the one hand, the governor says he'll approve Sunday sales at a ballgame in Gwinnett County but won't approve Sunday sales at a convenience store in Paulding County," Richardson said.

“It would be one thing if you had a moral position that there should be no sales on Sunday, but once you say you're OK with Sunday sales at a Braves game or Sunday sales in limousine, which is what [Perdue] said, I don't know how you have a moral ground,” the speaker added.