WINONA –The Winona Board of Aldermen voted 3 to 2 to amend the city’s Beer Ordinance to allow beer sales on Sunday and to follow the state’s law on alcohol sales.
Currently, according to Alcohol Beverage Control for Mississippi, in the State of Mississippi beer can be sold for off-site consumption 24-hours per day, seven days per week. Beer consumed on the premises, like at a bar or restaurant, may be sold from 7 a.m. until midnight, seven days per week.
Package stores are not allowed by state law to be open on Sunday.
The vote came after a motion from Alderwoman Sylvia Clark and a second by Alderwoman Linda Purnell.
Clark stated that by not allowing the sale of beer and light wine on Sundays in Winona, the city was giving away sales tax to other municipalities.
Alderman Mickey Austin said he disagreed with allowing beer sales on Sunday. He said that although he has no problem with individuals consuming alcohol, he did feel by not allowing alcohol sales on Sunday, it might limit the number of people driving under the influence one day per week.
Alderman Charles Harris, Jr., disagreed with Austin, stating that because people were going to drive to another city to purchase beer on Sunday, people were more likely to drive under the influence.
Clark said she had researched the matter, and she found that there were actually more incidents of impaired driving and drunk-driving fatalities in communities that do not allow beer sales on Sunday.
Citizen Wayne Welch expressed his opposition of allowing beer sales on Sunday. He explained that when the city board voted to allow alcohol sales in the city limits years ago, city leaders specifically chose not to sell alcohol on Sunday as a compromise with those in the community in opposition of the decision.
“You can’t run a town on religion,” Clark said. “We have so many different religions here. Why are we going to give away taxes?”
Retired minister Johnny Walker also spoke out emotionally against alcohol sales on Sunday due to the negative effect it has on individuals and families, as did Brother Jay Anderson, pastor at First Baptist Church of Winona, who reiterated Walker’s argument.
“[This] is making it easier for people to purchase it and consume it,” Anderson said. “For some, it all comes down to one drink. This is making it easier to offer that one drink. The long-term effect on the family and individual, is it worth the dollar?”
Purnell asked the board, “We’ve got the vote, don’t we?”
Mayor Aaron Dees called for a vote, and Harris, Clark, and Purnell voted for the measure. Austin and Alderman William Travis Johnson cast the dissenting votes.
According to City Attorney Adam Kirk, with the board voting to amend the ordinance, he will make the necessary changes to the ordinance and present it to the board on at its next meeting on July 20 for final approval. If a majority of the board votes for the amendment to the ordinance, it will be published in the newspaper once and become law 30 days after the amended ordinance is advertised.
If adopted next meeting, the city will follow the state’s law on beer and alcohol sales on Sunday. Currently, according to Alcohol Beverage Control for Mississippi, beer can be sold for off-site consumption 24-hours per day, seven days per week. Beer consumed on the premises, like at restaurants, may be sold from 7 a.m. until midnight, seven days per week.
