Tuscaloosa businesses and students alike have reason to celebrate after Tuesday’s vote to allow the sale of alcohol on Sundays. Businesses are looking forward to the increased profit accompanying the allowance of another day of selling drinks containing alcohol, and students are happy they’ll no longer have to either stock up on “Sunday beer” on Saturday night or make the drive to Jefferson County during the day Sunday. Even Tuscaloosa City officials are looking forward to the increased tax revenue. The vote wasn’t just decisive, it was overwhelming: 8,873 in favor of Sunday sales to 2,504 against. Such a broad margin should send a resounding message: Tuscaloosa is ready to move into a new era.
Although the vote asked us whether we want alcohol served on Sundays between the hours of noon and 9:30 p.m., many of us who voted didn’t realize that the Tuscaloosa city council still gets to decide in which venues alcoholic drinks may be served. They have the option of relegating this privilege solely to restaurants, leaving out bars and convenience stores if they so please.
Several of the city council members are enthusiastic about allowing every establishment that currently has a liquor license to serve alcohol during the aforementioned hours. Some are more cautious, saying they need to put more thought into whether or not bars and lounges, venues that only serve alcoholic drinks, should be included. Leaving out some businesses would not only be an economic disadvantage for the city, it would also lead to a high level of grey area in the law that could cause discrimination and favoritism.
Would Houndstooth, Buffalo Phil’s and Innisfree be allowed to serve me a pitcher of beer on Sunday, because they serve food, but Rounders and Gallette’s not? At what point is an establishment a restaurant that serves alcohol and not a bar that serves food? Every one of these businesses has already gone through the arduous task of acquiring a liquor license, proving they are responsible. They are all already monitored by the ABC Board to ensure their compliance to the plethora of state laws regulating alcohol sales and consumption.
Why would these law-abiding establishments behave any other way on Sundays? Why would the city council discourage people from buying alcohol in a store and taking it home where they can drink without worrying how they will get back?
The city council meets this Tuesday, March 1, to decide who will be able to sell alcohol on Sundays and who will not. Contact members of the city council to remind them to whom they answer. We spoke loudly last week; 78 percent of the voting citizens of Tuscaloosa said we wanted to have the option to lawfully buy and consume alcohol on Sundays. Any truncation of that is an affront to the democratic voices of the people our council members serve.
Elizabeth Robinson is a senior majoring in political science and economics.
