Senate Bill 10: revisited

So by now you probably know that Senate Bill 10 passed (SB 10 is outlined at the bottom of this entry for the uninitiated).  Finally.  Many Georgians will be allowed to vote in November on whether or not to allow retail package sales of beer, wine & liquor on Sundays.  Others will have to wait until the next scheduled election in their municipality, which could be as late as November 2012.  Sucks to be them.

But that’s not what I’m writing about today.  Today I want to tell you about the little civics lesson I received by following the live feed of the Georgia House of Representatives Session on April 12. 

Holy crap, people.  The GA House is a clusterf*ck. 

SB 10 was presented late in the day on Tuesday the 12^th.  As I recall, it was after 9 p.m., but I’m not sure of the exact time (alcohol was involved).  Anyway, I had been watching the live feed with great boredom, just waiting for SB 10 to be called.  When I finally heard the magic words, I immediately perked up.

The bill was introduced and the Speaker asked “will there be any questions”.  Due to the late hour and the number of issues left to discuss, several Representatives mumbled (not too quietly) “Noooooooo”, which I thought was all kinds of awesome.  But alas, several Reps had questions.  There was the normal back & forth until one Representative (and I wish to God I knew who it was, it was an older lady dressed to-the-nines in her ridiculous Sunday-go-to-meeting hat) stood up and said…and I shit you not…”Is this the jobs bill”?  Jesus. H. Christ.  He just read the damn thing in its’ entirety.  Did it *sound* like the jobs bill?

There was a moment of silence in the chamber and then the Rep who read the bill from the well said “No.”  Crazy lady, still standing, replied “Will it create jobs?”   Rep in the well said “Ummm. It could.”  Crazy lady sat down.   Seriously.  The people we elected to represent us in the GA House can’t even be bothered to pay attention to the issue on which they’re voting.  And it’s not like it was some bullshit bill about waste management or renaming a street.  It’s one of the most controversial bills introduced this year.  It received an enormous amount of press coverage.  Everyone from the Christian Coalition to the Liquor Lobby had piped in on it.  So no, lady.  It’s not the jobs bill.

After the questions, we got to the Speech-a-fying.   Two reps made rational comments about how the bill isn’t about religion or alcohol and was really focused on citizen’s rights.  One rep asked to be excused from the vote (big baby!).  We had the requisite son-of-an-alcoholic Rep who spoke about how his shitty childhood justifies his opposition to the bill (apparently his Dad was always sober on Sundays because he was too dumb to plan ahead).  We had the standard Christian Coalition kiss-ass make his point.  Blah, blah, blah.  Not exactly “must see TV”.

But later, I heard the most convincing argument yet against the bill.  A representative stood in the well and said that his issue with the bill was that the Legislature was pushing decisions down to the citizen’s because they were too chickenshit to make the decision themselves (I’m paraphrasing here).  It actually made sense to me.  His point was that if they’re pushing this issue out for a vote, why aren’t all decisions made by local referendum?  It was a valid point, but it was made much too late.  And frankly, I’ll take my rights however I can get them and local referendum works just fine for me.

The bill was finally put to a vote, and easily passed 127 to 44. Not even close.  The whole thing took less than 30 minutes.  It was equal parts riveting and appalling to watch.  I stopped watching the stream immediately after the bill passed, but I still wonder if crazy lady stood up when the jobs bill was introduced and said “Is this the liquor bill”?

From the Georgia Senate Website:

Senate Bill 10: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 3-3-7 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the local authorization and regulation of sales of alcoholic beverages on Sunday, so as to provide that in each county or municipality in which package sales of only malt beverages and wine by retailers is lawful, the governing authority of the county or municipality, as appropriate, may authorize package sales by a retailer of malt beverages and wine on Sundays from 12:30 P.M. until 11:30 P.M., if approved by referendum; to provide procedures; to provide for applicability; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

SB 10: My Precious

Update on SB 10 (for those of you too lazy to check online or buy a newspaper): The House Rules Committee didn't consider the bill in their meeting yesterday (slackers!), but the Committee is scheduled to meet again on Monday and is expected to consider the bill then.  The Rules Committee decides which bills are sent to the House floor for a full vote, so until the bill gets through the Committee there won't be any progress.

Full House vote could occur as soon as Tuesday, and if the vote is affirmative the bill goes straight to Gov. Deal (who says he'll sign it if it makes it to his desk).  And then...get to the polls, people!  And frankly, I should get to vote at least twice on this issue based on my efforts to get it passed.  May be even three times.

I have to admit I've kind of been in love with championing Senate Bill 10 (AKA "My precious") and the subtle civics lessons I've received as a result.  I'm tempted to find a new issue to embrace once (if?) SB 10 passes.  After I sober up, of course.

Go, Senate Bill 10, GO!!!

An update on Senate Bill 10 (AKA Legislation to give Georgians rights they should have had all along):

After passing the Senate last week (and it only took 5 years of wrangling - nice job, Senators!), the bill is headed through two House committees this week and is expected to hit the floor for a vote by the full chamber next week - possibly as early as Monday.  It passed the House Regulated Industries Committee with less than 10 minutes of discussion and minimal opposition.  Guess some of my fellow tipplers serve on that committee!

It's not a slam dunk, primarily because if the House makes any changes whatsoever the bill would have to go back to the Senate for another vote.  God help us all if this happens.  If I have to face another 5 years of stocking up on booze every Saturday afternoon, watch the news for stories about a 40-ish woman in North Atlanta running naked through the streets screaming "I wanna voooooooooote!".

The president of the Christian Coalition continues his dumb-ass whining about how there will be more fatal car wrecks if the legislation passes (which is bullshit, by the way - he's using faulty data from another state to make his case) and when that didn't work he said that House members who vote for the bill are being paid for their vote by the alcohol industry.  Nice display of Christian ethics, Mr. Luquire.

I still don't see what the big damn deal is in the Legislature.  They're not voting to allow retail sales of alcohol on Sundays, they're voting to allow citizens to vote to allow it.  Know what that's called?  Democracy!

Coalition Kryptonite

Holy Buckets, people.  Senate Bill 10 Passed!  You can thank me later.   If don't live in Georgia, SB 10 is the proposal to allow local communities to vote on whether to allow retail stores to sell alcohol on Sunday (and oh, baby, do I ever love a referendum!).  It's not a slam dunk - the bill still has to clear the House of Representatives and the Governor has to sign it (he has already said he'll sign), but it's looking like this is the year Georgia finally stops kowtowing to the Christian Coalition and starts recognizing citizen's rights. All of which will give us...the same rights that 47 other states have.  Thanks, GA Senate, for bringing us into the 19th Century.

Holy spitballs, I love GA Legislature Crossover Day almost as much as I love coconut vodka (well may be not almost as much, but you get the picture).  Kind of makes me wish that the House &Senate would only meet three times a year: Once to introduce bills, once for crossover day to vote, and once more to vote on bills that come over from the opposite chamber.  Imagine how much would get done!  No time for posturing or debate, just read the bill and vote.  Does debating ever change anyone's mind?  I think not.

I'm so hoping that the county in which I live decides to have Town Hall meetings to discuss the issue.  Because guess what I am?  Christian Coalition Kryptonite.  My friends, I'm identical to the majority of the members of the Christian Coalition in every way except one: my beliefs.  So when they show up all squeaky-clean and ready for battle, my squeaky-clean ass will be right there with a defense (or an offense, depending on which side you're on).

Don't believe me?  Take a look at this:

Granted, this was a handful of years ago, but have you ever seen a more all-American couple?  I'm wearing flannel and we're posing with a glass of sweet tea for Chrissakes!  Jeff looks like a televangelist and I'm all Stepford wife.

Here's a recent one (and apparently someone's been hitting the Cheeto's a little too hard lately):

Look at that, Christian Coalition:  We're the people who want to buy booze on Sunday.  There's nothing to fear from us!

So when my well-scrubbed, over-educated, professionally-dressed, sober (I can do it, I swear) ass steps up to the podium at the next Town Hall meeting, they're going to think I'm one of them - because according to the Christian Coalition only godless, thieving, baby-raping-sons-of-bitches would buy a bottle of Pinot Grigio on the Lord's Day.  Certainly not long-married, professional college graduates who live in the burbs!  Like, say, me for example.

And then I'll remind them that they can't protect their rights by infringing on mine.  If Sunday sales become legal in the county in which I live, they still have every right not to buy beer, wine or liquor.  It's a win-win.  You still have your rights, but now I have mine. 

Time to dust off my favorite adjective and say that the future for Sunday liquor sales in Georgia looks....awesome!