COLOMBIA, SC (WIS) – State lawmakers are debating two bills that, according to some, would make it easier and safer to get beer and wine.
The first law would allow the use of grocery delivery services for wine and beer orders, while the second would allow collection on the sidewalk. The projects have already been approved by the commission and are scheduled to be debated in the plenary session of the Chamber.
There is bipartisan support for both projects.
Sidewalk retreat is currently allowed due to an executive order from Governor Henry McMaster, but the project would make this a permanent change.
Piggly Wiggly owner Darrell Miller says delivery and the sidewalk are very popular these days.
“Our sidewalk and delivery probably doubled because it became a very popular thing for people to do,” says Miller.
Delivery and collection of alcohol on the sidewalk has been an issue at the store, according to Miller.
“Customers have asked about this since they had problems with COVID and were unable to obtain the cans as readily before. But so far, we have not been able to accommodate, ”said Miller.
Deputy Beth Bernstein (D-Richland) says the projects will benefit groups like working mothers and the elderly.
“Working mothers, mothers with busy schedules, who were already with Shipt and Instacart and had their groceries delivered and needed to be able to drink beer and wine, but since the COVID crisis, the elderly have not felt comfortable going to the store,” said Bernstein .
Still, others are concerned that bills will make it easier for minors to access alcohol.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division says it is concerned that the delivery bill will make it easier for minors to get alcohol, while making it more difficult to track illegal sales.
Representative John McCravy (R-Greenwood) said that preventing minors from receiving alcohol is one of their concerns.
“We need to make sure, first of all, that we don’t have minors taking alcohol that they don’t need and using it irresponsibly, but we want to prevent that first,” said McCravy.
Proponents of the project say delivery services will control orders.
“This is not going to happen within the framework of how we have established this statute, so we are trying to take every precaution so that it is not easier for a minor to obtain alcohol because of the same strict requirements that are demanded personally or even more demanding”, says Bernstein.
Bernstein says the delivery bill is the most rigid of its kind and drivers would be required to scan identities before delivering the delivery.
“It would be necessary for the person who is delivering the alcohol to be sure that the person to whom it is being delivered is at least 21 years old and that the identity has been digitized. The person who delivers the beer and wine must also be at least 21 years old, ”says Bernstein.
McCravy is also warning against the wrong people who get more access.
“Second, we need to think about whether we are going to proliferate alcohol in our state now. In the midst of this pandemic, we are increasing domestic violence and other things that happen, ”said McCravy. “So we need to be careful not to proliferate something that people already have access to, it’s just a matter of the wrong people getting paid at the wrong time.”
Currently, 40 states have similar legislation, including North Carolina and Georgia.
If you would like to contact a legislator about this legislation, Shipt’s food delivery service has created a website http://safedeliverysc.com/.
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