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Friday, February 18, 2011

Booze

At Least Arizonans Can Still Buy Beer on Sundays

Posted By Dan Gibson on Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 3:55 PM

Tough break, Georgians. Sure, we both can buy booze at restaurants on Sundays, but of all the things wrong with Arizona, at least we can still buy a six pack on the Christian Sabbath and drink our sorrows away.

Creative Loafing Atlanta:

This was supposed to be the year that state lawmakers would finally do something about Sunday sales.

They'd been handed a common-sense proposal — one that allows cities and counties to vote on whether booze could be purchased on the Sabbath in stores — that offered political cover. Poll after poll showed strong support for the measure. Gov. Sonny Perdue — who for years had vowed to veto bills involving Sunday alcohol sales — had left office. Nathan Deal, Perdue's successor, said he wouldn't nix the measure if passed. Hell, he even dropped the golden quote "I don't drink — I simply believe in democracy."

Still, lawmakers found a way to muck it up. Via the AJC:

The chances of a Sunday sales bill passing this year took a major hit on Thursday when Senate Republican leaders said the measure lacks the support necessary among the majority caucus.

"It's a decision the Republican caucus made to not move forward with it," Sen. Bill Cowsert, R-Athens, the Republican caucus chairman, said.

For the past several days, Senate Republicans have been wringing their hands over the measure that just a few weeks ago seemed destined for passage. Social conservatives apparently started applying pressure, causing lawmakers to get antsy.

Tags: the race to the legislative bottom, georgia legislature, drinking on sundays, creative loafing atlanta