ATLANTA - Gov. Sonny Perdue on Thursday reiterated his opposition to permitting alcohol sales on Sunday and said he isn't persuaded by those who say let the people vote on the issue.<br />
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"We live in a republic and the people of Georgia send us here to make decisions," Perdue told reporters.<br />
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"Do we want to let the people choose to allow prostitution? Where are we going to draw the line? " he asked. "I don't think you can absolve the responsibility of legislating by referendum."<br />
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On Wednesday, a House panel revived the issue of Sunday alcohol sales at grocery stores and convenience stores if voters in local communities approve. The House Regulated Industries Committee attached the local option legislation to a Senate bill that permits beer to be sold at a Gwinnett County stadium that will the Atlanta Braves' minor league club.<br />
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The sponsor of that bill, Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, held a news conference Thursday calling for the issues to be separated.<br />
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Unterman said her bill is critical to economic development in her suburban Atlanta district and was never intended to be a vehicle for the larger - and far more contentious - issue of Sunday sales at stores.<br />
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"This is a single issue to me," she said.<br />
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Critics have accused her of hypocrisy, saying it is not fair to allow those watching a baseball game to buy beer while those doing their weekly shopping at the grocery store cannot.<br />
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Georgia is one of just three states that do not allow stores to sell any kind of alcohol on Sundays. The other two are Connecticut and Indiana.<br />
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Perdue suggested he might veto the bill as it currently stands, saying the House move to combine the issues "puts Gwinnett County's business in jeopardy."<br />
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"My feelings about this have been very, very clear. I've always been transparent about this. I think it's the wrong thing to do," he said.<br />
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The bill could be up in the House floor for a vote as soon as next week.
