On Wednesday, April 15, Gov. Robert Bentley signed a bill into law that will allow St. Clair County residents to vote on Sunday alcohol sales in their communities.

Sponsored by Sen. Jim McClendon of Springville, Senate Bill 529 authorizes separate elections in each of St. Clair County’s municipalities and in its unincorporated areas to determine if voters are in favor of the measure.

“It would be entirely up to the people in each municipality to decide whether they want to pass this bill or not, “ McClendon said. “Any council that wishes to call a referendum will have authority to do so. Once a council makes that decision, the people in that city will have the final say.”

McClendon said he sponsored the bill after receiving formal requests from mayors and leaders in multiple St. Clair County cities, namely Riverside, Pell City, Moody, Ashville, Odenville, Springville, and Argo.

“A number of cities have really wanted this for some time,” he said. “Finally, we received enough that were interested that we thought we needed to proceed.”

Pell City Mayor Joe Funderburg said he encouraged the legislation because he felt the public should be allowed an opportunity to voice its opinion on the issue.

“There are of course pros and cons, and I think this community will reflect that in its vote,” Funderburg said. “But with the growth we’re seeing and our and proximity to attractions like Talladega and [Logan Martin Lake], people need the chance to at least decide what they want. To me, that’s what it’s all about.”

Regarding elections created in response to the bill, each municipality would be required to advertise for three weeks prior to opening the polls. Funderburg said his estimate was that the Pell City City Council would look toward late-summer vote, due to the need to call — and fund — a special election on the issue.

According to the bill, the proposed item on the ballot will read, “Do you favor the legal sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages within this municipality on Sundays as further provided for and regulated by ordinance of the municipal governing body?”

The latter half of that statement in conjunction with the bill gives each municipality the authority to enact any policies it deems appropriate to regulate Sunday alcohol sales. For example, a city could choose not to sell alcohol between 2 a.m. and noon on Sunday, as is the case in neighboring areas.

Any election to allow Sunday alcohol sales in unincorporated areas of the county would be administered by the St. Clair County Commission.

For municipalities that exist across county lines, the bill allows for the areas located in St. Clair County to employ the same regulations as the parts of the municipality in adjoining counties. For example, areas of Leeds located in St. Clair County will be permitted to operate under Jefferson County regulations. In this case, no vote will be required.

If residents vote down Sunday sales in their municipality, a subsequent election could not be held for 12 months according to the bill.

SB 529 passed the Alabama Senate in March, and passed the State House of Representatives on April 14.