Omnivore - Sunday Sales Dossier

• Wikimedia Commons
• It could be possible to buy these on Sunday soon.

Are you interested in the possibility of being able to buy alcohol in liquor and grocery stores on Sunday, but baffled, bored or frustrated by the politics of it all? Fear not, we’re here to help.

A little history

From Jan. 2003 to last month, former Gov. Sonny Perdue ensured that Georgia remained steadfastly one of the three states that doesn’t allow Sunday sales (Indiana and Connecticut are the other holdouts; Wikipedia’s page on alcohol laws by state is a fun read that reflects the regionalism in booze laws). Perdue, an avowed teetotaler, thwarted all attempts to change this status (and suggested “planning ahead” as an answer for people who wanted Sunday sales), to the point that eventually legislators kind of gave up on the idea altogether because they knew he would veto any Sunday sales bills.

However, just as the snowstorm that turned Atlanta into Hothlanta started, Gov. Nathan Deal took office. Deal is much more amenable to the idea of Sunday sales, even though he too is a teetotaler, because as he said in an interview with WABE, “I don’t drink. I simply believe in democracy.” (Yes, he did actually say that.)

Knowing the background, let’s proceed below the jump to how things stand today and what could happen in the near future...