City near NC coast ditches earlier alcohol sales on Sundays

The city of New Bern near the N.C. coast has opted against earlier alcohol sales on Sundays.

An alderman’s motion to pass a so-called #brunchbill failed for lack of a second late Tuesday, the city announced on Twitter.

New Bern is a city of about 30,000 at the confluence of the Trent and Neuse rivers.

Opponents of the proposal said it would deter people from going to church, The Associated Press reported.

Other N.C. communities voted this week to allow alcohol sales before noon on Sundays.

Mecklenburg County commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the measure in unincorporated parts of the county. The Huntersville Board of Commissioners also voted Tuesday to allow Sunday morning alcohol sales, making it the first town in the county to approve the change.

Last month, North Carolina legislators passed the “brunch bill,” which allows cities and counties to pass local ordinances allowing Sunday alcohol sales starting at 10 a.m. rather than noon. The law also allows retail stores and grocery stores to sell alcohol on Sunday morning.

The Raleigh City Council voted last Wednesday for an ordinance allowing local Alcoholic Beverage Control permit holders to serve drinks at 10 a.m. instead of noon, according to the AP. Carrboro’s Board of Aldermen passed a similar ordinance last week.

Atlantic Beach and Surf City have also adopted early Sunday alcohol sales.

This story was originally published July 13, 2017 at 12:58 PM with the headline "City near NC coast ditches earlier alcohol sales on Sundays."