One state representative who is Southern Baptist feels confident a measure he is sponsoring — a bill that could potentially make even smaller cities in the state “wet” — will prevail in the Alabama House of Representatives.
The legislation, House Bill 175, sponsored by Rep. Jimmy Martin, D-Clanton, has passed out of the House Tourism and Travel Committee and awaits action by the full House.
Martin’s bill would let municipalities that have a population of 500 or more and are located in “dry” counties hold a wet/dry referendum. Currently a municipal population of 7,000 or more is needed to hold such a referendum.
A member of First Baptist Church, Clanton, Martin said he sponsored similar legislation last year, but the measure died in the Senate.
He thinks support for the bill will come this year from legislators who represent smaller areas where residents wish to see alcohol sold.
“There will be a little debate, but I don’t think there will be much,” Martin said.
He said he was contacted by city leaders in New Brockton and other municipalities who want the right to vote on whether their areas should go wet.
“It is my opinion that our forefathers fought to give us this right. I hope the churches will not hold this against me for my belief,” Martin said.
Alabama Citizens Action Program Executive Director Joe Godfrey warns that allowing smaller municipalities to sell alcohol will strain their infrastructure and lead to increased social costs.
He said the current law was established for a reason.
The population requirement of at least 7,000 people was set to ensure that the areas offering alcohol sales have adequate infrastructure (emergency response personnel, police officers, jails, etc.) to handle problems associated with alcohol consumption. “You need that infrastructure because without it, it will take longer response time for emergency personnel and municipalities won’t have jails to handle alcohol-related offenses,” Godfrey said.
He also predicted staggering social costs, saying increased availability of alcohol leads to more cases of alcoholism and domestic abuse. He cited estimates indicating that every dollar of revenue generated from alcohol sales results in an expenditure of approximately $15 in social costs.
And while Martin is working to open the door for the potential of increased alcohol sales statewide, legislators representing districts just north of his have decided not to fight a new ruling that will limit Sunday alcohol sales statewide.
Currently restaurants are allowed to hold two types of liquor licenses, one to sell alcohol Monday through Saturday and a second to sell it on Sunday. The second license allows them to operate as a separate entity — a club — on Sunday so alcohol may be served.
But the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board decided in December 2008 to allow businesses to have only one liquor license, not two. If an establishment chooses to function as a restaurant, then it will only be able to sell alcohol Monday through Saturday. But if the business chooses to operate as a club and be able to sell alcohol seven days a week, then it cannot be a restaurant.
This new policy will go into effect with renewal of licenses, which expire Sept. 30.
While senators and representatives of Shelby County could introduce legislation allowing Sunday sales under one license, they have decided not to do so.
Rep. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster — a member of Westwood Baptist Church, Alabaster — said, “I think that trying to go to wet on Sundays is not what the people of Shelby County want and we’re respecting that.”
Although there is speculation that the 28 Shelby County establishments now serving alcohol on Sundays would be grandfathered in, allowing them to continue Sunday sales for a while, any new restaurants would be prohibited from doing so.
“One thing [we] are certain about: There is not going to be any expansion in Shelby County of alcohol being served on Sundays,” Ward said.
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