"Thats what she said" GA talks of repealing Blue Law sets Christans off

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Sadie Field--In The Savannah Morning News

"Legalizing Sunday sales of alcohol in Georgia would burden taxpayers, cause more deaths and tear apart families.

In this economy, we all try to find ways to stretch the dollar and rein in spending. Government should do the same.

But when it comes to making dramatic change to public policy in the name of garnering a few extra dollars for state and local treasuries, we need to ask: Do we want to make Sundays a free-for-all when it comes to the sale of wine, alcohol and hard liquor?

The Georgia Senate is poised to vote on legislation that would allow our communities to legalize the sales of beer, wine and hard liquor on the first day of the week - Sunday.

We should stop and think about the pain that may be inflicted on innocent Georgians by making an endless supply of alcohol available on Sunday. If the legislature passes this bill, it will cost lives, burden taxpayers and tear apart families.

The consequences may be more than meet the eye. It could increase revenue for state government, but at what cost?

Consider this:

-- Fatal crashes increased 42 percent in New Mexico after the Sunday ban on alcohol sales was repealed in 1995. A study conducted over a 10-year period by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation attributed the increased number of crash fatalities directly to the lifting of the ban on Sunday sales.

It's one thing to have a few drinks at a football game or a restaurant, which is currently permitted in our state. In those cases, there is always a barrier, a bartender or waitress to stop the flow of booze. It's certainly different when you can load up a case of beer and hit the road.

-- Researchers at Notre Dame and MIT found that when blue laws are repealed, especially concerning the sale of alcohol, church attendance falls 15 percent and church donations fall 25 percent. Families need time together, and worshipping together is one of the best ways to maintain the family bond.

Their 2008 study published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics also found that those who attended church and stopped after the ban was lifted on Sundays had greater increase of substance abuse.

Despite projections that legalizing Sunday sales of beer, wine and hard liquor could bring almost $5 million in taxes to Georgia government, one has to wonder if it would be worth the tradeoff. Many of those crash victims would wind up the burden of state and local taxpayers through Medicaid or other entitlement programs. That could exceed the $5 million in new.taxes.

Legalizing Sunday sales would burden taxpayers and cause more deaths and more innocent victims of DUI accidents. Fewer families would spend time together worshipping on Sunday. Churches would lose revenue. And there is potential for more addiction.

If we follow the logic of lobbyists arguing that governments need the cash, then in this economy we would also legalize and tax prostitution, illegal drugs and gambling. At some point, we have to draw the line and say it's not about the money.

In our lightning-speed world of BlackBerries and extended work weeks, we need to maintain public policy that keeps families healthy and together - not tears them apart.

Sadie Fields is chairman of the Georgia Christian Alliance."

Blue Laws stem from the Christian belief that the Sabbath is Sunday and that we must recognize Sunday as the day of rest and worship that "He" demands. In some states blue laws apply to car sales, sporting events and gambling. Alcohol sales are prohibited on Sundays in Indiana, Connecticut, and Georgia; Sales were prohibited in Colorado until July 2008 (i moved from GA to CO in 2006...), and in Pennsylvania til 2003.
What Ms. Fields fails to call enough attention to, as do a majority of articles that i've read, is the loop hole of the Blue Laws: You can still go to a restaurant and purchase alcohol on Sundays, but you cannot buy a six pack and go to your friends house on Sundays. I can go to Taco Mac in Buckhead, watch the entire GA Florida game (three hours of drinking) and still have to drive home. Or i can have my friends come over and everyone crash until they are sober. Blue laws open the gates for DUIs, and statistics will fail to reflect this because most counties (Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton) reduce police presents on Sundays. Furthermore, a repeal of Blue laws will end up Costing counties money because they will have to waste resouces adding police forces on sunday.
I won't speak for the other states, and i know i will piss off a few of you but really Georgia does not need to repeal this law. Heck most people (true drinkers) have dealt with this law for years-and they stock up on saturday.