General Assembly Analysis - HB 908

HB 908 Allows ABC stores to open on Sunday in Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Richmond and Chesapeake. The bill was sponsored by Del. Tom Gear R 91 representing Hampton, Poquoson, and York County. This bill passed the House 62-37 and the Senate 22-17. The voting split the region's delegation and not along party lines. Among delegates representing the affected areas and voting no in the House were Delgates Oder and Pogge, and voting yes Delgates BaCote, Hamilton, Joannou, and Ward. On the Senate side Senators Locke, Miller, and Norment, voted yes. It is difficult to understand the impetus for this bill. A search of the Daily Press web site failed to reveal any news stories involving protests over closed doors at the ABC stores on Sunday. The Virginia Public Access Project reports that Delegate Gear, the bill's sponsor received more than $24,000 from alcohol beverage distributors in the period between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2007. This classification was the largest single source of donations to the Delegate.