Sunday Sales Clear Final Hurdle

Lexington residents who have wished to be able to buy a six-pack of beer or bottle of wine on Sunday without driving out of town received an early Christmas present Monday night.

In a final reading vote, the Town Council voted unanimously to allow such sales. The vote comes after a Nov. 8 referendum in which an astounding majority of voters -- more than 73 percent -- said they approved the measure.

With the final vote -- which was the first vote for newly sworn Council member Steve MacDougall, who replaces former Council member Richard Thompson -- Sunday sales of beer and wine are now legal in grocery and convenience stores and other establishments permitted to sell beer and wine for off-premises consumption.

Once a special fee is paid, such establishments can immediately begin selling on Sunday, meaning that sales could possibly begin at some locations as early as this coming weekend.

Sunday sales of hard liquor from state-controlled beverage stores are not affected by the new town law and will remain restricted on Sundays.

Lexington now joins 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." 

The new Lexington law came about with virtually no opposition.

Local areas that already allow Sunday sales include Irmo, Columbia and Richland County, and Aiken.

Are you excited, or upset, about the new town law? Let us hear about it in the comments.