PORT RICHEY - Beer taps will likely flow two hours earlier on Sundays in Port Richey after Tuesday night's vote by the City Council.
An ordinance passed 4-1 by council members requires a second vote, probably at the Nov. 12 council meeting, but that step is usually a formality.
The ordinance would allow bars, restaurants and stores to sell alcohol at 11 a.m. on Sundays, moving it up from 1 p.m. The existing regulation was established in 1972.
Council member Phyllis Grae suggested easing the rules after being approached by a business owner who noted that several area governments have recently done so. They include Tampa, St. Petersburg, Safety Harbor, Largo and Pinellas County.
Pasco County has not followed suit, so why should Port Richey jump ahead on the issue, council member Bill Bennett asked. Mayor Eloise Taylor said she had not seen "concrete" information supporting the change.
But she went along with Grae, Dale Massad and Pat Guttman anyway, voting in favor of the change.
"I can't think of anything detrimental about this," Grae said before the meeting. "Two hours, I don't think, is going to greatly affect what happens in the city."
Generally known as "blue laws," Sunday alcohol restrictions date to 17th century New England when Puritans sought to regulate moral behavior. Today, in an age when the National Football League rules on Sunday, some view the regulations as archaic.
Susan Bandy, owner of Fat Charlies, a bar within walking distance of City Hall on Ridge Road, said new hours would not make a great difference in business.
But, she added, it would be more convenient for regular customers who come in to watch football or auto racing. "They know they can get here, get their seat and if they want to drink, they can."
