finally. now i dont have to go to the southside or bobby jones for a plank of hardiboard
AIKEN --- The "blue law" that once banned certain purchases in Aiken County on Sunday mornings came to an end Tuesday night, but it won't be effective immediately.
The state ban forbidding purchases of items including clothes, jewelry and tools before 1:30 p.m. on Sundays was repealed Tuesday night by a third and final vote of the Aiken County Council.
County officials had said the repeal would be effective immediately. However, the council approved an amendment Tuesday night establishing an effective date of Sept. 13.
"That gives some notification to people," said Councilman Eddie Butler, noting that businesses might need extra time to adjust their staff schedules.
Some county businesses said Tuesday afternoon that they hadn't determined when they would be able to make the change.
Jason Sessoms, a manager for Lowe's on Whiskey Road in Aiken, said Tuesday that when his store starts opening on Sunday mornings it would likely do so at 8, as Lowe's stores on the Georgia side do.
The Lowe's in Aiken and in North Augusta have been closed on Sundays until 1:30 p.m. because most of what they sell had been subject to the ban.
A manager of Wal-Mart in North Augusta who wouldn't give his name said his company would have been able to adopt the change this Sunday but that it would have been a challenge because staffing schedules are set a few weeks ahead of time.
At Kmart in North Augusta, a worker said Tuesday that the change hadn't been discussed but that the store would likely open at 8 a.m. Sundays when the repeal is effective. It has been closed on Sundays until 1:30 p.m.
Brian Tucker, the president of the Greater North Augusta Chamber of Commerce, said after Tuesday's meeting that he had heard from several businesses that wouldn't have been able to open earlier this Sunday.
"We don't want people to rush and end up going the wrong way with this," he said.
Those in favor of ending the ban had said the sales restriction cost Aiken County sales tax money because customers drove across the river to Augusta, which has no ban.
People who wanted to keep the law intact said it honored the Sabbath and allowed people who work on Sundays to attend church before starting their workday.
Reach Preston Sparks at (803) 648-1395, ext. 110, or preston.sparks@augustachronicle.com.
WHAT'S AFFECTED?
Items that had been restricted for purchase before 1:30 p.m. Sundays:
- Clothing and clothing accessories
- Housewares, china, silverware, glassware and kitchenware
- Home, business and office furnishings and appliances
- Tools, paints, hardware, building supplies and lumber
- Jewelry, watches and clocks
- Luggage
- Musical instruments, recorders, recordings, radios, televisions, record players or stereo sets or equipment
- Sporting goods
- Yard goods
- Automobiles, trucks and trailers
Comments
finally. now i dont have to go to the southside or bobby jones for a plank of hardiboard
Wow it only took Aiken county this long to join the 20th century! Too bad it's 2009.
Regarding the Sabbath: That is a Jewish concept given by the God of Abraham to His chosen people. In "honoring" the Sabbath, we had taken the Jewishness out of it. The Jewish Sabbath is the time span from sundown Friday evening until sundown Saturday evening. So how do we "keep the Sabbath" by closing businesses on Sunday? The laws were discriminatory from the beginning. Jewish business men trying to honor their God gave Him one day and had the next day stolen from them by the "Christian" blue laws. Now we have evened the playing field in Aiken County at last.
To uncleshirt: What did you do to get it done? It takes involvement by citizens to get these things done. I'v tried several times over the years to no avail. Congratulations to whom ever is responsible for getting to the right person to get this going. I'll still attend Church and just maybe the additional sales will allow a few more jobs for those that need them. Being a superisor in the past, every attempt was made to allow Church attendees to go.
"People who wanted to keep the law intact said it honored the Sabbath and allowed people who work on Sundays to attend church before starting their workday." Someone should remind these folks the true Sabbath is Saturday, which is the 7th day of the week; Sunday is the first day of the week! The day of worship was changed by early churches. At any rate, good for Aiken for getting rid of the 'blue laws.'
The first day of the week is Monday for me but Sunday for the Seventh Day Adventist. Saturday is their sabbath. A former employee of mine would work on Sunday but not on Saturday because his sabbath was Saturday. Blue laws are stupid.
Blue Laws and Red Dots.
RE; "Those in favor of ending the ban ... cost Aiken County sales tax money because customers drove across the river to Augusta, which has no ban." The fact is that a lot of other people wanted to end the Blue Laws because they are a prime example of tyranny by the religious majority. But, it seems that the only reason that ever gets reported is lost tax revenue. I suppose that reflects the unsophisticated nature of the authors of the stories. They tend to simply repeat the same tripe over and over. And to "uncleshirt" I bow to your humorous intellectual capacity -- well said! Why can't the religious among us be satisfied worshiping whatever god they want to, whenever they want to, in whatever way they want to, in their tax-exempt edifices, as they are preached to by their income-tax-exempt preachers? Why must they continually try to impose on everyone else, preferably by law, their precious little biases, traditions, myths, dogma, anti-science gibber jabber, and general-purpose zaniness? Many of these folk haven't yet evolved to the 15th Century yet -- still believing that the cosmos was "created" 1000 years after the Sumerians invented beer and glue.
Thank 'god' the blue laws are gone.
The state of SC is so hypocritical. Whatever happened to separation of church & state. I am so sick of having christian religious beliefs forced upon me. If I want to shop on Sunday mornings that is my right. If I want to purchase & drink alcohol on Sundays that is my right. The no alcohol on Sundays is stictly a religious law. That is the next law that should be changed???
Separation of Church and State is finally reaching the South, good for us.
"We don't want people to rush and end up going the wrong way with this," he said." What? Open before 1:30 or don't. There is no "wrong way". What a bizarre statement.
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