A Look At Georgia's Blue Law

In a special report-- a look at our state blue law...and it’s longevity.  Georgia is one of only three states that still maintain a statewide ban on retail sales of alcohol on Sundays.  The so-called blue law -- based on the religious value of keeping the Sabbath holy -- has stood the test of time despite efforts in recent years to overturn it...the latest in 2009.

A poll taken in the spring of last year found 80-percent of Georgia voters believe Sunday alcohol sales in retail stores should be legalized.  An informal poll on the streets of Savannah finds opinion more evenly split.  When asked if retailers should be allowed to sell alcohol on Sundays, Shaq Blackmon says, “Yeah - they should, 'cause it's part of their business - they sell it every other day - I don't see why not on Sundays.”  But Nathaniel Soloman disagrees, “We've got to give god respect sometime and we can't get too far away from God.”  Wooley Gardner says, “After 12 o'clock, what's going on after 12 o'clock? - nothing else going on - I don't see a problem with it.”  But Ariz Ruiz likes the law, “It’s good because Sunday is for the family day.”  As for John Johnson, “I don't have an opinion on it - I don't drink.”

The law draws strong support from some who like things just the way they are.  Reverend Bennie Mitchell says, “I don't think we want to become like a New York City or some other big town where there is no line of demarcation as far as having respect for the way we were brought up and on the country's - what we were founded on - biblical principles.”  A local political scientist says repeated but failed efforts to change the law demonstrate the push and pull of a growing community of people moving into the state from other areas and the more conservative mindset of most native Georgians... As the state continues to grow – Armstrong State Political Scientist Dr. Kathleen Burke says the law will likely eventually change, “It doesn't seem to fit in a changing world - now that doesn't mean it's gonna happen right away - but you still have to convince the base of the voting public that they want this change and we still - in Georgia - have a very conservative base.”

Economics are often cited as a reason by those pushing change.  A spokesperson for Piggly Wiggly says the grocery chain has seen a positive impact on business in some South Carolina communities where blue laws were recently struck down.   With no statewide ban in place - counties there determine their own laws...with sales and tax revenue sometimes a factor.  Christopher Ibsen says, “That's when I think you can see the business community and local government working together - is that not only is that tax revenue being lost - but that sales revenue is often lost into you know adjacent communities and so you've seen some collaboration for those laws being changed.”

The other reason most often cited concerns the separation of church and state - how can a law so obviously based on religion still stand?  Experts like Dr. Burke say the separation of church and state doesn't really have the meaning most people attribute to it, “The state is not going to mandate what your faith has to be - that's the idea behind the separation of church and state - that's the basis to the idea - not that faith is not going to play a role in government and the distinction comes in the fact that your policies are a reflection of people in a democracy.”  So those people's social and yes, religious, morals are going to be reflected in their laws.  Maintaining a balance between those with different beliefs is the often difficult goal.  Rev. Mitchell says, “I live here also and I’m pretty sure that if it had not been for the Ten Commandments - if it had not been for church - a lot of our people would be worse that it is - because it's pretty bad now.” 

The other two states with statewide bans on Sunday alcohol sales still in place are Indiana and Connecticut.