Several merchants in Selma have taken measures to have Sunday beer sales made legal in the city.

Jimmy Coleman, manager of Calhoun Foods, spoke of the move for the first time publicly Tuesday, telling the Selma City Council that a bill is pending in the Alabama Legislature that would pave the way for Sunday beer sales.

“Sunday sales will help us in this small market,” he said, “but we came here because we heard there were some questions.”

The group of merchants, which included two beer distributors and a local restaurateur, had asked Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, to sponsor a bill in the Legislature that would allow the Sunday sales in Selma.

The Rev. Dr. Cecil Williamson said he opposed the measure the way it was originally written because the bill would allow the Dallas County Commission to decide on Sunday beer sales in Selma. Williamson also pointed out the way the bill was written that it allowed only sales in establishments, such as restaurants and bars.

“That wouldn’t do your sales any good,” he said. “It’s not going to help y’all as far as being able to make sales.”

Coleman said he and the others had recognized the problem with the bill and had brought the issue to Sanders’ attention. “We realized we had jumped the gun and we had another expert … come in and correct those issues,” the store manager added.

The council did not take any action on the issue.

Later Coleman said, “If a lot of people would really look at it, Selma is a historic town, it’s a tourism town. One of the key factors of a lot of people that travel on Sunday would like to go to the St. James or go to other businesses and sit and drink a glass of wine on Sunday.”

Currently no liquor or beer sales are allowed in Selma on Sunday.