Reg Rats and fellow Tigerlanders will have to hold off their possible rejoicing until the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Council reconvenes Oct. 24.
The Council voted to defer the issue of bars selling alcohol on Sundays and retail outlets selling before 11 a.m., until the full council comes together again in two weeks.
Councilwoman Alison Gary, who brought up the ordinance to extend Sunday hours, amended her bill during discussion so it now stipulates that retail could open at 6 a.m. on Sundays, while bars would have to wait until 11 a.m. to serve alcohol, like restaurants currently do.
The bill originally stated that Gary wanted bars to operate on Sunday like they do every other day of the week.
After various figures voiced strong opposition, Gary moved to amend the ordinance, and Councilman Ulysses Addison moved for the council to take a vote.
The original vote stood as five for the ordinance versus six against, and the council decided to defer the vote until the next meeting.
At the Oct. 24 meeting, the council will also vote on an ordinance, brought to the table by Councilman Addison, that would allow bars to stay open until 4 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Currently, the law states bars must close at 2 a.m.
A chief concern about extended hours came in the form of statistics presented by Bret Blackmon, who works with the University to address substance abuse.
Blackmon said an increase in hours is associated with an increase in car crashes, DUIs and alcohol-related incidents, mostly with males under 21.
Blackmon also said this could be related to the increase in police coverage as a result of more possible hours of crime.
Other strong opposition came from former Baker Mayor Pete Heine, who said he approves of the right for people to drink, but the problem exists when, in the case of this ordinance, laws extend the hours and they can drink too much.
Heine cited people who beat their wives as an example. They wouldn’t do this if they weren’t under the influence of too much alcohol, Heine said.
“We swore we’d protect our constituents’ health, safety and welfare. Giving them extra hours to drink doesn’t help that,” said Heine.
Gary directly disagreed with this, saying it isn’t the government’s right to tell people there are certain hours at which they are not allowed to drink.
“It’s not my job to tell somebody else they can’t run their business,” Gary said.
Gary also addressed the religious factor of Sundays, after constituent Pat Rusk read an email exchange between them.
Rusk said in the email she asked Gary, “Are you a Christian? If so, how could you say you rescind the Sunday blue laws?”
Rusk also appealed to the council, asking, “How about my right to attend church on Sunday without being hit by a drunk driver on a Sunday morning?”
Gary responded that her proposed change had to do with fairness for people and businesses.
“My Sunday is my Sunday, even if there is an open bar down the street,” Gary said.
Gary added that having her faith questioned was offensive.
“That’s what I privately do on a Sunday. We have that freedom in our country, thank God,” Gary said.
Councilman Rodney Bourgeois agreed with Gary, saying he wondered why this ordinance hadn’t been called into question earlier.
Bourgeois is a restaurant owner, which he said puts him in a difficult position.
“If I vote for this, I’ll make the preachers mad. If I vote against this, people will say I’m trying to stymie other businesses,” Bourgeois said.
Brian Baiamonte and David Remmetter, owners of Radio Bar, each spoke in favor of the new ordinance.
Baiamonte said the ordinance would just put Sunday on equal footing with every other day of the week.
“I don’t know why we wouldn’t be able to open on a Sunday. We pay rent on a Sunday,” Remmetter said.
Baton Rouge area resident Slater McCoy showed the council a pie chart that illustrated the difference of hours a retail business would be allowed to sell alcohol.
According to McCoy, the difference is 3 percent. Businesses can sell alcohol for 80 percent of the week now, and under the new ordinance would be able to sell alcohol for 83 percent of the week.
When the council meets again Oct. 24, it will discuss and vote on the issue again.
East Baton Rouge resident Slater McKay demonstates on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012 in city hall that the effect of the new alcohol ordinance would be minimal.
