The West Virginia House Roads and Transportation Committee likes brunch, but they'd like to be sure that each individual county likes brunch too.
The committee passed the "brunch bill" on Thursday to allow restaurants and bars to sell alcohol beginning at 10 a.m. on Sundays. Bars and restaurants currently cannot sell alcohol before 1 p.m. on Sundays.
But the committee amended the bill to require each individual county to hold a referendum on allowing earlier alcohol sales on Sundays. A county's voters would have to approve the earlier sales before county bars and restaurants could start slinging bloody marys and mimosas.
The vote could be held at the same time as a previously scheduled election, so there would be no increased costs to counties to hold the vote.
Several delegates spoke in support of the amendment, saying the bill could not pass without the referendum provision.
"In order for this bill to pass, this is going to be an amendment that we'll need to adopt," said Delegate Paul Espinosa, R-Jefferson. "I'd rather have three-quarters of a loaf than no loaf at all."
"A piece of the pie is better than no pie at all," said Delegate George "Boogie" Ambler, echoing the bakery metaphor.
The bill passed the Senate unanimously last month
The referendum provision could be a compromise measure necessary to allow the bill a vote on the House floor.
House Speaker Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, a strong social conservative, has not been positive about the bill's chances.
"That is not going to be a top priority," Armstead, who largely control's the House's agenda, told West Virginia MetroNews last month. "I'm looking at this in the context of a whole bunch of other issues and I'm not the only one who thinks that bill is not the right direction to go."
The bill must still head to the House Judiciary Committee before it could reach the House floor.
Despite support from the business community, including many Charleston-area restaurants, similar legislation has stalled in recent years.
The state Chamber of Commerce estimates that allowing earlier Sunday alcohol sales could lead to $20 million in additional economic activity in West Virginia.
"The hospitality and tourism industry is a $5 billion industry and our third largest industry in West Virginia," the Chamber wrote in a letter to delegates. "Visitors need to be given every opportunity possible to fall in love with this state. Denying them the ability to enjoy Sunday brunch hampers their ability to fully enjoy their time here and, worse yet, gives them a reason not to return."
Reach David Gutman at david.gutman@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5119 or follow @davidlgutman on Twitter.