Group Works to Uncork Sunday Sales in Georgia

A Facebook group, foot soldiers and a flyer do what the big money couldn’t.
From a Press Release sent out by the group Georgians for Sunday Alcohol Sales.

SNELLVILLE, GA – Sunday package sales legislation has languished under the Gold Dome of the Capitol for over five years. This week, Senate Bill 10 Sunday Sales (SB 10), was officially "uncorked" by the Senate with a 32 - 22 victory and is now headed to the State House chamber where easy passage is expected.

Facebook (FB) and other social media sites are the new campaign tools of savvy citizens. This year, a FB group of about 6,400 citizens from across Georgia banded together to add their voice to issue-friendly legislators and the convenience and grocery store associations in calling for passage of SB 10, which allows local control by way of referendum for the sale of a legal product on Sundays.

The FB group, Georgians for Sunday Alcohol Sales (GFSAS) educated and encouraged members to contact their State Representatives, download and print a flyer to pass out in their communities, and generally keep the issue in front of the Senators.

On Wednesday, Crossover Day at the Capitol, several months of Internet campaigning culminated when a contingent of GFSAS foot soldiers showed up at the Capitol with the printed flyer and a determination to see SB 10 passed. By the time SB 10 came up for debate, the GFSAS flyer could be seen from the gallery on the desk of nearly every Senator.

In July 2010, Snellville, GA proponents of a related issue, Sunday Sales of Liquor By The Drink (SSLBTD), used the same social media tools to win a local referendum by a 2-1 margin. The approval of SSLBTD helped “uncork” Snellville’s sluggish local economy.