TULSA, Okla. -- An Oklahoma group plans to launch a petition campaign to allow the sale of wine and strong beer at grocery and convenience stores.
Oklahomans for Modern Laws (OML) will try this year to collect the signatures of about 220,000 registered voters. That is the number of signatures needed before the proposed amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution could appear on a ballot.
Some 34 states allow the sale of wine in grocery and c-stores. In Oklahoma, such businesses can sell nothing stronger than 3.2 beer. State law restricts [image-nocss] the sale of wine and strong beer to liquor stores and limits their business hours to 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The stores must close on Sundays and major holidays.
Regulation would be up to the state legislature if voters approve the proposal.
OML said Oklahomans should support the initiative petition because:
It will allow Oklahomans the freedom to buy a bottle of wine or high-point beer while they do their grocery shopping. It will mean more tax dollars for state services. It will enable tourists and visitors to have the same convenient laws they enjoy in other states. It will bring Oklahoma's wine and beer laws into line with surrounding states such as Texas, New Mexico, Missouri, and many others.Click here for full details of the campaign.
Meanwhile, consumers in Georgia overwhelmingly want the power to decide if stores may sell beer and wine on Sunday, according to a new Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll. The poll of 625 Georgians found 68% supported legislation this session giving voters the chance to consider Sunday beer and wine sales at grocery and c-stores.
Support was particularly strong in metro Atlanta. About 80% of metro Atlanta respondents liked the idea, according to the poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research. More than half of those polled in South Georgia and North Georgia also backed the proposal. But support for Sunday beer and wine sales was only 45% in Middle Georgia, home of Governor Sonny Perdue.
Jim Tudor, president of the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores (GACS), said the AJC poll results "really reflect what other polls have shown. It's also reflective of the wishes of our customers, which is why we are seeking this initiative."
Still, no lawmaker has taken the lead on the issue, and supporters won't identify a sponsor for fear of riling religious conservatives, said the report. Some lawmakers appear to be waiting to see how Perdue, a Christian conservative who doesn't drink, comes down on the issue. When asked about Sunday sales last month, all Perdue would say is, "It won't be part of my agenda."
Some poll respondents said the Sunday sales ban amounts to a violation of the separation of church and state.
Under draft legislation being pushed by lobbyists, counties would be allowed to hold referendums to determine whether beer and wine should be sold in stores on Sunday. With approval of local voters, restaurants already can sell alcoholic beverages on Sunday. The store-sales measure is being backed by the grocery and c-store lobbies. It is opposed by the liquor store lobby. Liquor stores would have to open on Sunday to compete. Under state law, grocery and c-stores can't sell hard liquor. The liquor store industry wants the proposed bill to include hard liquor if it passes.
State Senator David Shafer (R), who chairs the committee that considers liquor legislation, was not moved by the AJC poll results, said the report. He remains skeptical about the bill's chances of winning legislative approval. "I have only heard from a couple of constituents, and they've all been sellers of alcohol, not buyers," Shafer told the newspaper. "Certainly it will be considered. But at this point, the bill doesn't even have a sponsor."
All State House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R) would say is, "My position on this bill is this: I plan to allow the House of Representatives to vote on it."
State Senate Minority Leader Robert Brown (D) said the Senate Democratic Caucus won't take a position on the issue. He said how lawmakers vote "will depend on each senator's and representative's local politics." If the power brokers in their town oppose it, they likely will oppose it, too, he said. "I really don't think that [poll results] really move legislators one way or the other," he added.
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