If you enjoy a mimosa or a Bloody Mary with your brunch, soon, Georgia restaurants could add alcoholic beverages to their Sunday brunch menus. Both the House and the Senate passed a bill that would let restaurants sell alcohol earlier on Sundays.
As pastor of Christ Temple All Cultures Ministries, Bishop Emmett Bright says he chooses not to drink alcohol. “The scripture doesn't teach us that drinking is wrong, but it does teach us that there should be moderation and temperance,” said Bright.
But years ago, when Bright was 19 years old, he was a bartender himself. “I saw what wine and alcohol could do to a person. It's not only what I saw it do in them, I saw what it did in me.”
Bright is one of many with reservations about Georgia Senate Bill 17, also known as "the Brunch Bill." It would allow restaurants and wineries that serve food to sell alcohol as early as 11 a.m. on Sundays. Georgia senators approved the bill in February, and on March 12th, the House passed the bill by a vote of 97 to 64.
Many agree that the bill could generate more sales for local businesses, but some are more concerned about safety. “Yes, this could be an economic win for the city, but how many lives would be in danger because of this change?” said Bright.
For now, the bill now sits at Governor Nathan Deal's desk, waiting for his signature. The governor has not said if he intends to sign the bill. Managers at the Rookery, Parish on Cherry, and H&H declined to comment on the bill.