Court Opinion

ID: 9849714
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 04:44:59.501635+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:20:25.299211
License: Public Domain

On Motion for Rehearing.
It is argued that Division 3 of our original opinion holds by implication that other prohibitions contained in the 1938 Act, such as the sale of liquor to minors (Code Ann. § 58-1061), operation of liquor businesses in close proximity to schools and churches (Code Ann. § 58-1029), or the limitation as to the amount of license fees and taxes that may be imposed (Code Ann. § 58-1038), do not apply to those selling mixed drinks. Thus it is argued that a person could legally sell liquor to a minor on election day if he held a license under the 1964 Act rather than one under the 1938 Act.
This argument assumes that the local government has failed to act in accordance with its “power and authority to promulgate reasonable rules and regulations governing the conduct of any licensee provided for in this section, including but not being limited to the regulation of hours of business, types of employees, and other matters which may fall within the police powers of such municipalities or counties.” In the case before us the city has acted and adopted a comprehensive ordinance providing for hours of sale, sales to minors, election days, etc. The extent of our holding in Division 3 is that the authority for such an ordinance actually enacted is found in the Act of 1964 which must be construed either in harmony with the Act of 1938 or as taking precedence over it to the extent of any conflict. We do not necessarily hold that any given provision of the 1938 Act may never be applicable to a sale-by-the-drink licensee— we simply hold that the 1964 Act governs where it is applicable and actually implemented by the local government.
The Commissioner also urges that we have overlooked Code § 26-6905, providing that “Any person who shall pursue his business or the work of his ordinary calling on the Lord’s Day, works of necessity or charity only excepted, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.” The Commissioner previously took the position in his supplemental brief that this Code section was not *257involved in the appeal since the liquor laws deal specifically with intoxicating liquors and hence take precedence over other less specific laws such as the Sunday closing laws. We agreed and still agree with the Commissioner’s former position.
But we have not overlooked this Sunday closing statute which itself contained exceptions — works of necessity and of charity— and there have been numerous subsequent statutes broadening these. For example, it was held that the operation of a motion picture theatre was neither a necessity nor a work of charity, even though the receipts were donated to charity works. Albany Theatre Co. v. Short, 171 Ga. 57 (154 SE 895); Thompson v. City of Atlanta, 178 Ga. 281 (172 SE 915). But in 1949 the General Assembly adopted an Act legalizing the operation of motion pictures, athletic events, games and contests on Sunday (Code Ann. §§ 26-6915, 26-6916), when licensed by the city or county where located. The same is true of the operation of automobile race tracks. Worley v. State, 79 Ga. App. 594 (54 SE2d 439). Thus the exceptions were enlarged.
If Code § 26-6905 is still viable it would appear that the Act of 1964 has enlarged the exceptions, just as was done concerning the operation of motion picture theatres, etc., and so even if we are in error as to when the Sabbath of the tippling house statute begins, we reach the same result, for this exception is under a general statute of later date and is the last legislative expression on the matter, and applies to both the tippling house statute and the Sunday closing law.
There is question as to whether Code § 26-6905 was not repealed by Ga. L. 1967, p. 479, portions of which were held unconstitutional in Hughes v. Reynolds, 223 Ga. 727 (157 SE2d 746), but leaving intact the severability clause and the repealer section, but we do not find it necessary to consider that.

Motion denied.