Smyrna's Mayor Supports Letting Local Voters Decide Sunday Sales Issue

With the Georgia State Senate approving legislation last week that would allow counties and municipalities to vote on whether packaged alcohol can be sold in grocery and liquor stores on Sunday, some Smyrna elected officials welcome the opportunity to allow the citizens to decide the issue.

Georgia is one of only three states that continues to ban packaged alcohol sales, including beer, wine and hard liquor, on Sunday.

“There’s this sort of divide, but I believe that folks should have the right to make a choice,’’ said Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon.

On last Wednesday’s annual Crossover Day, the final day for a bill to clear at least one chamber in order to be considered, Senate Bill 10 passed by a 32-22 vote. One of its strongest supporters was Senate Democratic Caucus chairman Doug Stoner, D-Smyrna.

The legislation next goes before the House, where lawmakers say it has a good chance of approval. New Gov. Nathan Deal has said he would not veto the proposal, in stark contrast to his predecessor, former Gov. Sonny Perdue.

“I’m in full support for allowing the voters to decide,’’ said Smyrna City Councilwoman Teri Anulewicz, a mother of two young children. “When you have a busy family it makes a difference. Some of those who oppose it are clearly not in charge of buying the weekly groceries.’’

This fall, the mayor and all seven city council members are up for re-election. Mayor Bacon, who has already announced he will seek another term, agreed with Anulewicz that if state lawmakers pass the Sunday sales bill, it should be on the November ballot.

“If it comes up during the election and it means more people come out to vote, that’s great,’’ said Bacon.

If residents didn’t approve Sunday sales and neighboring municipalities did, then Smyrna might not be as attractive to businesses and new residents.

Chans Nayee, owner of on Atlanta Road, isn’t sure Sunday sales would help or hurt his business.

“People pretty much know now that they have to buy before Sunday so they do,’’ Nayee said. “If I have to pay employees to be open on Sunday for sales that I would’ve made on Friday and Saturday, I just don’t know if that makes the most sense.’’

In the past, pressured by those with conservative religious values, state lawmakers have been reluctant to move towards Sunday sales. But that’s not the case now.

Jerry Luquire, president of the Georgia Christian Coalition, acknowledged that if the measures pass the legislature, then most, if not all, metro Atlanta cities and counties would approve Sunday alcohol sales, provided city councils and county commissions placed 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, which 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.

- Tim Darnell contributed to this story.