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Georgia Governor Blasts Sunday Sales Measure |
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Friday, 14 March 2008 |
Gov. Sonny Perdue said Thursday in his strongest terms yet that he opposes the idea of allowing Georgians a vote on Sunday package sales of beer, wine and liquor. Perdue was asked about the issue the day after a House committee tacked the Sunday-sales bill onto Senate legislation allowing beer sales on Sundays at Gwinnett County's new baseball stadium.
The governor, a Christian conservative who does not drink, said he had hoped the House would approve the Gwinnett County bill without the issue of Sunday package sales attached.
"I haven't supported [package sales] in the past ... and, frankly, I am very concerned that it puts Gwinnett County's business in jeopardy if the House takes it up," he said. "I think it's the wrong thing to do and the wrong time to do it."
When asked by reporters if it was hypocritical to support legislation allowing Sunday sales at the stadium but not at grocery and convenience stores, Perdue responded that the Gwinnett bill is "for a specific purpose."
"Six days is plenty" to allow liquor sales in Georgia, the governor said. "We need a little relief on Sunday."
The measure still needs the approval of both the House and the Senate before the Legislative session ends.
Perdue would not say if he would veto a bill that includes both the Gwinnett measure and Sunday package sales. In general, the governor does not say in advance whether he will sign or veto legislation passed by the General Assembly.
Kathy Kuzava, a lobbyist for the grocery store industry, which is pushing the Sunday sales bill, responded, "We're hopeful that, if the General Assembly was to pass the bill giving local communities the right to vote, the governor would give it the thoughtful and deliberative consideration it deserves before making his final decision."
Sen. Renee Unterman (R-Buford), who sponsored the original stadium bill, said Thursday that Sunday sales is "completely separate" from selling beer at the ballpark. The stadium will be the new home of the Atlanta Braves' AAA minor-league team, but the venue is not allowed to sell alcohol on Sunday because it is in unincorporated Gwinnett, not in a city.
"When I brought this to the table, I brought it as one issue," she said, "not as two issues and not to let the two issues merge."
Unterman said if the House wants to take up the issue of Sunday sales, it should revive last year's bill on it and leave hers alone. The House attached Sunday sales to Unterman's legislation because her chamber has refused to vote on the issue. Attaching one bill to another is common in the Legislature.
"If they wanted it, they could have brought it up," Unterman said. "They've chosen not to do so."
She would not say what she planned to do if it were to come back from the House with Sunday sales still attached to it.
"I've been down here long enough to know this is a three- ring circus," Unterman said. "I'm just going to take it one day at a time."
Copyright 2008 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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