On Jan. 1, 2019, local grocery stores will begin selling wine on Sundays.
According to The Tennessean, the Tennessee House passed legislation legalizing the sale of alcohol on Sundays. Governor Bill Haslam said he would sign off on the legislation once it hit his desk.
The bill was met with opposition from the Tennessee Pastors Network and only passed through the Senate by one vote. The Tennessean claimed there was an “audible gasp,” in the room when the vote was counted.
Local representative Andy Holt was in strong opposition of the legislation and questioned the faith of those backing it.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy,” said Holt according to the Times Free Press.
The former law forbade liquor stores from being open on Sundays and required that grocery stores not sell wine from 11 p.m. Saturday – 8 a.m. Monday.
This will change in one aspect upon the governor’s signature of the bill. Liquor stores will immediately be allowed to open on Sundays, however grocery stores must wait until Jan. 1, before extending wine sales to match beer sales.
With the ushering in of this new legislation, liquor stores will be permitted to open seven days a week and grocery stores can sell wine at the same hours which they currently sell beer, excluding the major holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.
Dean of the College of Business and Global Affairs Ross Dickens said he believes that the change to the new liquor law is strictly a revenue-based change.
“I think we’ll only see the normal six-day figures of sales, just distributed throughout the full week,” said Dickens. He thinks there will not be a drastic increase or decrease in the amount sold, instead, the change will come to when it is sold.
Though Weakley County is a dry county and UTM is a dry campus, students and faculty of legal drinking age will likely enjoy the newfound purchasing freedom that comes with the extension of wine sales in Tennessee.
Pacer graphic/Daniel Jones
