Despite overwhelming statistics revealing alcohol’s negative effects on society, some Alabama legislators are determined to increase its availability and potency around the state.
But Dan Ireland, executive director of Alabama Citizens Action Program, says representatives and senators are spending “entirely too much time” on bills like these.
“With all of the absolute necessities of legislative issues pending — budgets, helping low-income people, health care and educational issues — such frivolous things as all the alcohol and gambling bills seem to be getting the attention of the legislators, and the question is why,” Ireland said. “They’ve got enough homework to do to keep this ship of Zion afloat without dealing with these bills that would hurt society and particularly our young people.”
Currently only 26 “dry” counties remain in the state, and some of them contain “wet” cities. But House Bill (HB) 393, which recently passed the Alabama House of Representatives and is moving through the state Senate, would allow any municipality in any county to vote on the issue and begin selling alcoholic beverages if the votes favor a “wet” status.
If passed, HB 393 will remove the current 7,000-person population requirement needed to call a vote on alcohol sales.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. James Martin, D-Clanton, believes it places smaller towns on the “same playing field” as larger towns by allowing them to keep tax money otherwise lost by residents traveling to nearby towns to purchase alcohol.
“(Towns) under 7,000 are being punished because of their population,” said Martin, a member of First Baptist Church, Clanton. “My personal opinion is that if a person is going to buy a drink, that is going to be their choice. As far as my county is concerned, drinkers can drive five to 10 miles or go to bootleggers and buy whatever they want. This way, they (towns) will have the opportunity to keep the tax money within their town limits.”
But Ireland believes this bill can cause detrimental problems for small municipalities that may not have basic police or emergency services to deal with alcohol-related problems.
Although Martin believes town leaders in such cities should set up taxes and fees on alcohol sales beforehand to meet the needs, Ireland believes the money won’t be enough.
“Nationwide, alcohol-related problems cost more than the revenue received from the sale of alcohol,” Ireland said. “Why legalize the sale of alcohol and then have to designate the money to protect the public from the sale of it. … You are creating an alcohol–related problem by bringing it in and taking money from the sales to take care of alcohol-related problems. The problems are always more than you take in.”
In other alcohol-related legislation, Colbert County came one step closer to allowing the “sale of draft or keg beer or malt beverages” when HB 788 passed the House and moved to the Senate.
But Ireland believes HB 196, which also passed the House and is currently placed on the Senate calendar, could be more dangerous to the state, and particularly its underage drinkers.
Sponsored by Rep. Thomas Jackson, D-Thomasville, HB 196, known as the gourmet beer bill, more than doubles the alcohol content allowed in beer sold in Alabama.
“The Free the Hops people wanted to have their own beverage in the state,” Jackson said. “That’s an imported beer that the Germans and Europeans drink all the time. … I feel like if we can take [the Germans’ and Europeans’] dollars we ought to be able to embrace their culture.”
To that comment, Ireland responded, “If they have prostitution over there, do you think we should have it over here too?”
Ireland believes this bill would provide underage drinkers greater access to a more potent beer, but Jackson, a Church of God in Christ minister, does not believe this will be the case. “I don’t think our teenagers will enjoy drinking this beer because the taste is not good, and it costs $7.60 per bottle,” he said.
However, Ireland believes money is not an issue for today’s youth.
“To bring what I call a ‘high-octane beer’ to this market is a dangerous step toward the young people,” he said.
“Young people pretty much have the wherewithal to buy what they want when they want it. With that alcohol level, it’s a possibility that a teenager can get drunk on one beer. There are too many red flags to allow this to happen.”
Other alcohol bills introduced during this year’s legislative session have not made it to the House or Senate calendar:
- HB 260, sponsored by Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, D-Red Bay, would authorize the sale of alcoholic beverages at “resort state parks under Conservation and Natural Resources Department, and hotels, convention or conference centers and golf courses financed or owned by Retirement Systems of Alabama.”
- HB 519 and Senate Bill (SB) 416, sponsored by Morrow and Sen. Edward McClain, D-Midfield, would allow “all valid licensees of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board” to sell fortified wine.
- HB 53, sponsored by Rep. Oliver Robinson Jr., D-Birmingham, would authorize “gourmet beer” sales in Jefferson County.
- HB 286 and SB 237, sponsored by Rep. Mac Gipson Jr., R-Prattville, and Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, would allow Sunday liquor sales in Class 4, 5 and 6 municipalities.
- HB 355 and SB 12, sponsored by Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, and Sen. Hank Erwin Jr., R-Montevallo, would require “kegs to be identified by number and registered to the buyer or lessor of the keg.”
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