Lexington Council OKs Sunday Beer, Wine Sales Vote

Soon, Lexington town residents may not have to drive to Columbia or Aiken to buy beer or wine on Sundays.

Residents can already enjoy a tipple in local bars and restaurants, but a decision Monday by the Lexington Town Council will give voters a say on whether to adopt Sunday sales of off-premises beer and wine within town limits.

With nary a peep of protest from the public, the council on Monday night unanimously approved an ordinance that would put the matter to a referendum vote in the upcoming Nov. 8 town elections.

If approved by a simple majority of town voters, Sunday sales of beer and wine would become legal in grocery and convenience stores and other establishments permitted to sell beer and wine for off-premises consumption. 

Sunday sales of hard liquor from state-controlled beverage stores would not be affected by a positive vote and would remain restricted.

If approved, the town of Lexington would join a small but growing number of South Carolina counties and municipalities — largely centered in the state's population centers and tourist destinations — that have expanded off-premise beer and wine sales to Sundays, reversing decades upon decades of restrictive "Blue Laws."