A bill that would greatly reduce the population requirement for holding a wet/dry referendum in the state passed the House of Representatives on March 12 and is now awaiting consideration by the Senate.
House Bill (HB) 175 — sponsored by Rep. Jimmy Martin, D-Clanton, and a member of First Baptist Church, Clanton — would allow municipalities with a population of 500 or more that are located in “dry” counties to hold a wet/dry referendum. Currently a municipal population of 7,000 or more is required for such a vote.
The bill excludes Blount, Clay and Randolph counties as a result of separate amendments proposed by Rep. Richard Laird, D-Roanoke, who represents Chambers, Clay and Randolph counties, and Rep. Elwyn Thomas, R-Oneonta, whose district includes Blount County.
Martin also offered an amendment to the bill that would allow restaurants currently serving alcohol on Sunday to continue that practice. The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC) ruled in December 2008 that restaurants statewide could no longer hold dual licenses — one allowing them to sell alcohol Monday through Saturday and a second one to sell alcohol on Sunday.
Martin’s amendment would grandfather in restaurants now serving alcohol on Sunday, excluding them from the ABC ruling, which would apply to new restaurants.
Joe Godfrey, executive director of Alabama Citizens Action Program, urged Alabama Baptists to contact their legislators about the attempts to expand the sale of alcohol.
“Let them know you’re not happy with their decisions. There are a number of legislators that are normally conservative in their views who are allowing this to go through,” Godfrey said.
However, some House members — including one Southern Baptist legislator — argued against the bill and said the Legislature, during this session, is addressing too many bills that would increase the sale and potency of alcohol in the state.
During debate on the bill, Rep. Owen Drake, R-Leeds, urged fellow legislators to search their “hearts, minds and souls” before voting to expand the sale of alcohol.
“It’s uncomfortable to think anyone in a town of 500 or more can open a bar or sell alcohol,” said Drake, a member of First Baptist Church, Leeds.
He was joined by Rep. Duwayne Bridges, R-Valley, in voicing his opposition.
“The expansion of alcohol is very disturbing to me. The expansion of alcohol in the state is getting out of kilter,” Bridges said.
He added that too much time is being spent this session on legislation related to the expansion of alcohol and gambling.
“Isn’t there something more important in this body?” Bridges asked.
HB 175 joins two other alcohol-related bills that have already been approved by the House — HB 373 and HB 448 — and are now being considered by the Senate.
HB 373, sponsored by Rep. Thomas Jackson, D-Thomasville, and its companion bill in the Senate (SB 132), sponsored by Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, would permit the sale of gourmet beer, which can have an alcohol content of up to 13.9 percent. Beer currently sold in Alabama has an alcohol content of 6 percent.
HB 448 is sponsored by Rep. Greg Canfield, R-Vestavia Hills, and is awaiting action in the Senate, where Sen. Steve French, R-Mountain Brook, is sponsoring a similar bill — SB 263.
These bills would increase the alcohol in table wines from the current 14.9 percent to 16.5 percent.
Another alcohol-related bill was passed out of the House Tourism and Travel Committee on March 12 — HB 254. It currently awaits consideration by the full House. This bill would remove the distinction between “table” wine and “fortified” wine.
Sponsored by Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, D-Red Bay, the bill would allow wines with an alcohol content up to 24 percent to be sold anywhere. Alabama law currently stipulates that restaurants and stores can sell “table wines” with an alcohol content up to 14.9 percent, while wines with a higher alcohol content are only available at ABC stores.
“That means they could sell what used to be fortified wine — wine up to 24 percent alcohol content — in a grocery store. It would no longer have to be sold only in an ABC store,” Godfrey said.
He also pointed out that fortified wine has a higher tax on it than table wine. If HB 254 passes, then the tax rate on what is now classified as fortified wine would drop to the level of table wine and the result would be less revenue for the state’s General Fund, he said.
Citing information from the legislative fiscal office, Godfrey said the change would result in approximately $800,000 less in annual revenue to the state.
HB 254 will be one of the bills the House deals with when legislators return from spring break March 24.
To contact your senator, call 334-242-7800. To contact your representative, call 334-242-7600. In both cases, ask to be transferred to his or her direct line.
Home and business numbers for legislators can be found by going to www.legislature.state.al.us.
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