Atlanta Council Members Support Sunday Alcohol Sales

The Georgia General Assembly may be closer than ever to allowing voters in local communities to decide whether beer and wine can be sold in stores on Sunday.

New Gov. Nathan Deal has said he would not veto the proposal, in stark contrast to his predecessor, former Gov. Sonny Perdue.

If the Georgia General Assembly passes House Bill 69 and Senate Bill 10, county commissions and city councils would face the question of whether to put the question before their voters.

The next regularly scheduled municipal elections for Atlanta and Sandy Springs aren’t until 2013, though some nearby municipalities – Smyrna, Austell, Dunwoody and Decatur – already have elections this fall and could add the question to their ballots.

Atlanta city councilman Howard Shook, who represents Buckhead's District 7, said he supports Sunday alcohol sales but will have to consider whether to support a special election.

"Some other referenda-driven items might come out of this session of the legislative assembly, and sometimes elective seats require filling outside of the original terms, so it might not be a stand-alone issue," he said in an e-mail. " I would have to check with the clerk’s office to see what the cost would be to hold a special election."

He said he supports the bill, which would remove politicians "as middlemen so that constituents can directly determine the the laws by which they live. If granted the right to vote I would vote for Sunday sales, thus making it a matter of personal choice."

Shook added that it's hard to predict how much Sunday sales would boost business for retailers. "But I would guess that the economic benefit would be rather modest."

Yolanda Adrean, who represents Buckhead's District 8, said voters should have the right to decide the issue.

"I'm in favor of the sale of beer and wine on Sunday," she said. "It's not a revenue issue, the issue is people should have a choice." Adrean made her comments following a Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods meeting.

In a followup e-mail, Adrean said that the issue possibly could be added to the February 2012 presidential primaries or the November general election that year. Another possibility is adding it if an election is held on renewing the special local option sales tax for schools.

Adrean said,  "I would not advocate for the expenditure for a special election for this matter alone as the cost of an election is quite high."

No countywide elections are scheduled for Fulton County until November 2012.
Holding a special election in Fulton County could cost anywhere from $400,000 to$750,000, according to several county election offices.

In Atlanta, Mayor Kasim Reed has not decided whether he would support a special election on the issue, said communications director Sonji Jacobs.

House Bill 69 sailed through the House Regulated Industries Committee last week, with no opposition. One of its sponsors, Powder Springs state Rep. Earl Ehrhart, is seen by many as one of Georgia’s most influential legislators.

The Senate version of the bill, SB10, may face a stronger challenge. It is sponsored by Smyrna state Sen. Doug Stoner.

Jerry Luquire, president of the Georgia Christian Coalition, said he had 22 “no” votes in the Senate by late in the week, and needed six or seven more to derail the measure.

“Local governments are contacting their senators, saying they don’t want the heat that this issue brings,” Luquire said. “They don’t want to have to make that decision, as to whether or not to allow such a referendum.”

Luquire would not name the communities that he said were trying to block the bill. He acknowledged that, if the measures pass the Legislature, then most, if not all, metro Atlanta cities and counties would approve Sunday alcohol sales, if city councils and county commissions place the measure on a ballot.

A Feb. 10 poll by The Schapiro Group, an Atlanta-based public opinion research firm,said 78 percent of Georgia voters want the opportunity to vote on Sunday alcohol sales. In metro Atlanta, 83 percent were in favor of the measure. The results were part of the firm’s annual Georgia Legislative Poll, and was not conducted for any corporate sponsor.

If given the chance to decide, 61 percent of metro Atlantans said they would vote for Sunday alcohol sales. Twelve percent were “probably in favor;” 5 percent were “probably against;” 16 percent were “definitely against;” and 6 percent were undecided.

Metro Atlanta voters, men, and residents of urban and suburban areas are most likely to vote in favor, while voters over age 60, non-metro Atlanta voters, and rural residents are the most likely to vote against, the survey found.