Alcohol is sold in this file photo.Scottsboro, Ala., officials are hoping a Sunday alcohol sales resolution passed by the City Council and sent to the Alabama General Assembly for approval could boost business and open the door for more tourism revenue and business recruitment.
"The bill was introduced by our legislative delegation this week," Scottsboro Mayor Melton Potter said.
The trio of lawmakers representing Jackson County -- Sen. Steve Livingston, R-Scottsboro, and state House reps. Tommy Hanes, R-Bryant, and Richie Whorton, R-Owens Crossroads -- already back the measure and Potter expects the rest of the Legislature to follow their lead.
Scottsboro City Council members unanimously approved the resolution last month and sent it to the General Assembly. The neighboring town of Hollywood, fresh off a move to allow alcohol sales in town, wants to allow Sunday sales, too.
Like neighboring communities that already have Sunday sales, Scottsboro and Hollywood hope to take advantage of their location along U.S. Highway 72. The four-lane highway bisects Jackson County and links tourists to Chattanooga and Huntsville.
"It's strictly a business issue," Greater Jackson County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Rick Roden said. "We try to recruit hotels and restaurants, and we've actually had some of the restaurants to ask us first thing, 'Do you have Sunday sales?' and we say, 'No,' and they say, 'Call us back when you do.'"
Officials said a recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling overturning a 2009 law that dealt with the population of towns or cities seeking legal alcohol sales won't impact those efforts if corrective actions already underway are finalized. The 2009 law let cities and towns with populations of at least 1,000 seek alcohol resolutions.
Alabama lawmakers enacted a law in 1984 that allowed cities with populations of 7,000 or more within "dry" counties to hold votes on allowing alcohol sales. Lawmakers in 2009 changed the population threshold to 1,000 or more, according to reports on Al.com.
In February, the state Supreme Court ruled that excluding some municipalities violates the Equal Protection Clause in the state Constitution.
Roden said the Supreme Court ruling has no impact on the Sunday sales issue for Scottsboro -- population 14,00-plus -- but it does have ramifications for Hollywood -- population 1,000 -- for the moment.
"Hollywood is one of the [towns] affected by the ruling of the state Supreme Court," Roden said. "It was the wording. It's a minor fix. The Legislature in Montgomery -- they just went in session last week -- are currently rewording that bill to where it's going to be lawful."
Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or twitter.com/BenBenton or www.facebook.com/ben.benton1 or 423-757-6569.