Holden signs changes to alcohol ordinance

Mayor-President Kip Holden signed an ordinance change Tuesday to relax East Baton Rouge Parish’s blue laws, clearing the way for bars around the parish to open on Sundays.

The new laws went into effect as soon as Holden signed the proposal, said Chris Cranford, executive director of the parish’s Alcoholic Beverage Control.

The measure, which was approved 8-3 by the Metro Council on Oct. 24, means that bars in the city of Baton Rouge and in the unincorporated areas of the parish will be able to serve alcohol from 11 a.m. to midnight on Sundays. Stores will be able to sell alcohol before 11 a.m.

Comments

1) Comment by Protean - 31/10/2012

Hey, hey, ho, ho ... I read. Your comment remains desperate and juvenile. Try adding "...in Jesus name". It won't help your "point", but you'll fool yourself into feeling better.

2) Comment by Biochick - 31/10/2012

Oh, Dear phil... " We should eliminate all of God out of the law. Take for example, the 10 Commandments. We need to get rid of those, which is the basis for a lot of the morals and laws that civilized people have" First of all, that is totally false... in many ways, there are natural, instinctive, biological versions of morality in place... take a wolf pack, for example... they work together as a community, love and support each other, avoid unacceptable behavior that will get them kicked out to starve and die alone... all without the benefit of the Bible or the 10 commandments... In other words, many of the 10 commandments also happen to be part of general common sense and morality.... don't steal, or there will be consequences... don't murder, or there will be consequences... Please, stop trying to make it sound like Christianity is the ONLY source of morality in the world. Also.. who the hell are you to claim that YOUR particular faith or religion is the right one, and the rest of us are wrong?

3) Comment by Biochick - 31/10/2012

First of all... having restrictions on alcohol sales SPECIFICALLY on a Sunday is obviously religion-based, no matter what the opponents try to say. Second, restrictions on bars opening or restrictions on what stores inside of the Baton Rouge city limits can sell on Sunday does NOT discourage people from drinking... it just means they buy it elsewhere... but, hey... if you think Ascension Parish needs the profits and tax revenues more than we do, whatever....

4) Comment by Hello Baton Rouge - 31/10/2012

Kip Holden - "Crime is not out of control in Baton Rouge" ... lol. We just happen to be #1 in the country for homicide per capita, but thats a good thing, right kip! lol

5) Comment by phil - 31/10/2012

Yea Yea Ney Ney and please read my last comment.

6) Comment by Protean - 31/10/2012

Jesus has virtually nothing today's so-called christians. It's not his behavior modern religious hypocrites want to follow. It's not his message. It's simply his name. You even here it when they mumble their magical incantations: "... in Jesus' _name_, amen". And that very phenomenon is why christianity is so imbedded in the right wing psyche. Their authoritarian leaders need not justify a law or policy; they need only slip Jesus name somewhere in their (self)righteous pronouncements, and the masses of authoritarian submissives will snap to it. Mr.falcon, you may be right about Jesus' choice of compatriots when he was alive, but if he were to come back today, I suspect that even he would have a bit more self respect than to associate with those use his name like a marketing brand ... as if he were no better than certain types of hygiene products.

7) Comment by misterfalcon - 31/10/2012

Who said anything about being godless? I don't like my neighbors telling me what I can do with my time or money. Jesus hung around with prostitutes and the scum of the earth - tax collectors. His first miracle was turning water into wine for a celebration. Apparently you disapprove of Jesus' behavior. You sound like a real scratch and sniff Christian, Phil. What's that odor?

8) Comment by phil - 31/10/2012

I enjoy it when the same old godless folks answer my comments in mass. It proves I am making my point, which they do not seem to like much.

9) Comment by Chucky - 31/10/2012

Can a store refuse to sale alcohol on Sunday or are they now required to offer alcohol for sale ?

10) Comment by BH1962 - 31/10/2012

Phil, you are crude, and you are not a careful reader. When you needlessly became defensive and sarcastic, you assumed the role of victim. Stop playing the victim. Not everybody is out to get you.

11) Comment by DMJ - 31/10/2012

We can take God out of government very easily. We should. We don't need to believe in mysticism to have morality and the rule of law. Murder, theft, rape would all still be illegal, punishable not by Thor or Zeus or whatever, but by government. An atheist nation? I doubt it....though things are trending our way. A communist nation? No one wants that....not even American Socialists want total communism. Get a grip, phil.

12) Comment by Cousin Dave - 31/10/2012

Kind of funny that the Advocate only gave this article three paragraphs, but it is generating more comments than their other articles. Somebody is out of touch. This is a big deal, whether you are for it or against it.

13) Comment by misterfalcon - 31/10/2012

I like your suggestions, Phil. Seems like a win-win situation. The public keeps nosey Christians out of their pocketbooks and pants, and you aren't here anymore.

14) Comment by Tea_Slayer - 31/10/2012

"Reaction?? " Why should we phil? your tired argument bores us now

15) Comment by Straight Shooter - 30/10/2012

Great day for lifting unjustifiable restrictions on a legal industry. An even greater day for locally owned businesses that were on an unlevel playing field with nationally owned chain restaurants. Small government groups were mysteriously silent on this issue. My only guess is that they supported lifting regulation and restrictions, along with 61% of the voters who participated in the 2007 referendum to lift some of the blue laws.

16) Comment by phil - 30/10/2012

BH1962 - good point. We should eliminate all of God out of the law. Take for example, the 10 Commandments. We need to get rid of those, which is the basis for a lot of the morals and laws that civilized people have. By all means, let's take God out of the USA like a lot of people would like to. Taking God totally out of the picture is NOT the same thing as having a separation of Church and State. When we are turned into an atheist, communist nation, I hope I am long gone from this Earth. Reaction??

17) Comment by phil - 30/10/2012

I suppose Together BR is too busy worrying about food deserts to worry about things that affect the morals of the community. They seemed to be silent on this issue. I guess the public votes for council members to represent our views. At least that is one theory. How about letting the local public who this will affect actually vote on items like this?

18) Comment by redavaw1 - 30/10/2012

I'm not religious. I don't care if you sell alcohol or not. But if you allow one to do it, you should allow them all. Blue laws are stupid, this is 2012.

19) Comment by BH1962 - 30/10/2012

Being_Stupid, I do not disagree, but blue laws originated with evangelical reformers in an attempt legislate morality. I am not offering an opinion on this, nor am I trying to be presentist in my interpretation of the past. I am just throwing in a line and seeing what bites.

20) Comment by BH1962 - 30/10/2012

Well dang, Citizen. I was testing my hypothesis by offering a situation where I have no strong opinion. Sorry if I confused you; that was not my intention!

21) Comment by Being_Stupid - 30/10/2012

There is nothing wrong with drinking alcohol on Sunday. Catholics been doing it for about 2000 years now.

22) Comment by CitizensArrest - 30/10/2012

BH1962, you need to read up on what a hypothetical is. You did not offer a hypothetical...you simply asked a question.

23) Comment by nimby? - 30/10/2012

capitalism at work ; if they have the business they will stay open , if not they will close ...

24) Comment by DMJ - 30/10/2012

Having attended the meeting and heard the various speakers and perspectives, I thought the most compelling argument was about small/ locally owned businesses. The point was made that roughly 700 restaurants in the parish were already able to sell alcohol starting at 11:00 and that many of these are corporate - Chili's, Hooters, Buffalo Wild Wings, etc, etc.. whereas the 200 or so bars (not restaurants) are almost entirely locally owned, small businesses. It's unfair to allow Outback Steakhouse to serve drinks while people watch the Saints game but not allow Duvic's to do the same, if they so choose. I applaud the Metro Council (with the exception of my own council member/ Jehovah's witness Tara Wicker and mayoral hopeful/conservative hypocrite Mike Walker) for their decision.

25) Comment by BH1962 - 30/10/2012

Robert, I was just offering a hypothetical. Surely no reason for passing the ordinance was greater than the simple fact that the constituents wanted it. Still, I am curious how others will see this.

26) Comment by RobertBigelow - 30/10/2012

This is not about religion. it's about revenue. The industry could use the extra sales, those who work in it could use the additional hours and shifts, and the city could use the added tax revenue.

27) Comment by BH1962 - 30/10/2012

How do the Christian Right amongst you feel about this change? On one hand, eliminating the blue laws removes the specter of the "nanny state" that y'all hate, but on the other hand the blue laws were a piece of legislation passed by Christians to facilitate keeping Sunday sacred. By removing the laws, the city-parish just took God out of the Law. Reaction?

28) Comment by Being_Stupid - 30/10/2012

: ) - let's party.