Roy Barnes said he’d sign bill to permit Sunday sales of alcohol in grocery stores
Walking around the state Capitol this morning, I ran into a lobbyist who said that former Gov. Roy Barnes, running to reclaim his old job, had put out the word that – if the Legislature were to pass a bill to permit the Sunday sales of beer and wine in grocery and convenience stores – he’d sign it.
Barnes himself just confirmed it:
“Yes. It ought to be a local decision. I believe in local control. It ought to be a local referendum, just like we do any of the others. I don’t know why we get cranked up about this, to be frank. That’s something that people ought to have to regulate themselves.”
The governor said hard times have increased acceptance. “Of course, I’m a Methodist, so we even speak to each other in liquor stores,” he quipped. “There may be some parts of the state that say, ‘We don’t want no part of this.’ But in other places, it’s part of their economic fiber.”
Barnes is one of several candidates for governor, both Republican and Democrat, who is to speak at a small-business forum here at noon. So expect more to come on the topic from his rivals.
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108 comments Add your comment
Cont.
January 28th, 2010
12:06 pm
It’s moot. Also it’s secession. And infringe.
Georgia Whig Party member
January 28th, 2010
2:09 pm
good to know
Barnes: I Support Sunday Sales : Georgia Liberal
January 28th, 2010
3:01 pm
[...] one of the most pressing issues facing Georgia today, Roy Barnes said he supports Sunday Sells of Alcohol and believes the decision should ultimately be the local [...]
Keith
January 28th, 2010
6:01 pm
Hey, I run a liquor store and I want to sell liquor on Sunday. If anyone thinks it’s some liquor store lobby that opposes this, your wrong. An individual can only own 2 (count them 2) liquor licenses in this state. Convenience store owners and major grocery stores are pushing this legislation. No restrictions on the number of stores that can be owned. You want the law? Fine, then level the playing field. If they can sell on Sunday then allow me to sell also. Anything less I will not support.
sunday, sunday, sunday
January 29th, 2010
12:29 pm
The part of this issue that bothers me the most is the republican candidates won’t address the issue of sunday sales at all. As a moderate republican, if these candidates won’t respond to my emails asking for their stance, they don’t deserve my vote. At least be honest with me. For example, I emailed Karen Handle and got no response but now I am on her spam list and they won’t remove me. No response from Oxendine, Deal, or Johnson either. Obviously they are for keeping this poorly designed law that only promotes drunk driving on sunday by making people drive to a bar or restaurant for a drink but don’t have the courage to state their convictions…thats a poor excuse for a candidate.
TLH
January 29th, 2010
4:10 pm
sunday, sunday, sunday – I sent an email to Oxendine this week too. I have not heard back from him either. Your right about the response thing. They surely do not need my vote.
Something else to note here is that Senator Seth Harp was the one pushing Sundays sales the hardest for the past couple of years. Earlier this year he announed he would be running for the Insurance and Fire Commissioner position which is currently held by John Oxendine, and Oxendine is running for governer. I wonder if that will effect this situation?
ON SUNDAY ALCOHOL SALES « ATLmalcontent
January 29th, 2010
9:36 pm
[...] SUNDAY ALCOHOL SALES Roy Barnes favors it: “Yes. It ought to be a local decision. I believe in local control. It ought to be a local [...]
Big Al
March 14th, 2010
7:31 pm
It is not Roy Barnes who is pandering – it is John Oxidenie who is pandering – to the religious radicals at the expense of our INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS! If you want Sunday Sales in the great state of Georgia to be reality, then please – for the love of God – DEFEAT JOHN OXENDINE! This great state of Georgia cannot afford four years of John Oxendine as its Governor for the next four years