Preachers are workers and they should be protected by the blue laws!  No church on Sundays!

Gotta agree with Washington.  go big or stay home.  either rescind the blue laws or close everything on Sunday.  That would include restaurants too. 
Is it not a sin to buy a burger or some fried chicken on Sunday but wrong to buy underwear before 1:30 PM?  My main concern is with the workers and protection for them.
Should someone have the right to refuse to work on their Sabbath?

Separation of church and state requires that the government doesn’t make laws like these.  And if Hartsville wants to continue to grow as it has in the past it needs to get rid of these stupid laws.

I’d love to spend my money in Hartsville but the hours the local businesses are open makes it nearly impossible.  For example, I prefer Ace Hardware to Lowe’s, but they aren’t open on Sundays at all, and close at 6pm on other days.  If you’re in the middle of a home project and need something, hope you don’t mind to wait a couple days!  Or you could go to Lowe’s (and save some money to boot).

I enjoy shopping in Columbia so I’ll just travel there on Sundays once the blue laws are rescinded there.  I can sleep in and still be shopping by 10am and be done and having lunch before the stores even open in Hartsville.

I personally do not like the blue laws. I get out of church at noon and then have to wait to go out because of the blue laws. I say do away with them. I the city can do away with them during the holidays then why not the rest of the year? I am religous but I do not beleive in the blue laws.

I think they should do away with the blue laws also.  They should have enough people who volunteer to work Sunday mornings.  The people who want to work should work.  The people who want to go to church can go to church.  Then everyone can shop.  Hartsvile still lives in the dark ages.

So how do we get like-minded people on County Council to rescind these Blue Laws?

Like most of us in this thread, I feel they are terribly antiquated. If I recall correctly, there are provisions in SC law that allow an employee to not have to work on Sunday if they have a religious objection. 

The tax revenue would also be graciously accepted, as well.  Like I mentioned in the deleted thread, we go to Florence or Columbia a couple times a month on Sunday afternoons to shop.  Now with both counties in Columbia free of Blue Laws, it gets even easier.  I would really like to keep my tax dollars here in DarCo - I have a dog in that hunt, as my wife works for the County.

Sunday beer and wine sales would be next, but I doubt I will see that here in my lifetime.  I vividly remember the fight in Charleston County almost 20 years ago.

It’s really time to move DarCo and Hartsville into the late 20th century.

I’m not sure I really got my original point across…the city has the laws basically “because of religion” but at what is supposedly one of the most holiest holidays they rescind the law. 

Why?  (well we all know why..$$$$$)

Where is city council or Mayor Mel to defend the reasoning behind this ...or do they really have the guts to just say it’s all because of the money.

Never thought of it that way, washington.  It is oxymoronic.

  One sunny day in the middle of the night,
  Two dead boys got into a fight
  Back to back, they faced each other,
  Pulled out sabers and shot one another
  A deaf policeman heard the noise,
  And came and killed those two dead boys.

Makes as much sense.

What is a joke is you can go to Dollar General and buy anything you want on Sunday morning but have to wait until 1:30 at Wal-mart.

I am not sure that anyone who voted this law in has ever been out of Hartsville or S.C.  This law is so antiquated it’s not funny.  Come on Hartsville you need to get with it.

Dear concerned citizens and friends of Hartsville,

I really appreciate each of your collective interests in our city government.  While I generally despise this site for it’s lack of editorial oversight, and the fact that anonymity encourages this site to be used in a negative way that is grossly impacting our ability to showcase this city’s fullest potential; I made an executive decision to break with my beliefs of HVTD.com to help correct the inaccuracies of the thread. 

I always encourage people to reach out and ask questions before writing the newspaper, assuming, or posting here.

So here’s the answer:
The State of South Carolina Laws (Section 53 Chapter 1) specifically addresses the issue of the “Sunday Blue Laws.”  Keep in mind that this is a state law and is governed accordingly.
By statute we are allowed to suspend this law during the holiday season or for special occasion for a brief period of time.
Unfortunately, we cannot repeal the law because we don’t meet the provisions set forth by the state of South Carolina in this statute:

(B) The provisions of Chapter 1 of Title 53 do not apply to any county area, as defined in Section 6-4-5(1), which collects more than nine hundred thousand dollars in one fiscal year in revenues from the accommodations tax provided for in Section 12-36-2630(3) and imposed in Section 12-36-920(A). After a county area has collected more than nine hundred thousand dollars in one fiscal year in revenues from the accommodations tax provided for in Section 12-36-2630(3) and imposed in Section 12-36-920(A), the exclusion from the provisions of Chapter 1 of Title 53 will continue from year to year irrespective of whether revenue falls below nine hundred thousand dollars in subsequent years.

The short of it is that we don’t collect more that $900,000.00 in accommodations tax; therefore, we’re stuck with the law.

It is antiquated in today’s technologically advanced society.  If you can buy online on Sunday, you are hurting our local economy by not being able to buy it in person.

I’m glad to see that there are citizens that are concerned about our great city.  I encourage each of you to continue to be positive about Hartsville and help us make this an even greater place to work and live.

Thank you again for the ability to serve.

Mel Pennington
Mayor, City of Hartsville

Despise is such a harsh word . . .

It is good to see the Mayor overcome his objections to this site and correct misperceptions about the blue laws.

How can citizens of Hartsville go about encouraging the state legislature to pursue changes in the statute?

Names and addresses for state legislators are available at http://www.scstatehouse.gov. Mr. Malloy in the senate and three (count ‘em three) different house members represent Hartsville. Hopefully redistricting as a result of the 2010 census will correct this division of Hartsville between three different house districts.

Thank you Mel for clearing that up.  I am one who was running my mouth while being uneducated about the situation. 

I still laugh at the hypocrisy of religious laws that can be suspended or repealed “if the price is right.”

No worries.  These are hard times we live in, so we do what we can to help perpetuate survival.  Some will be fortunate enough to not feel the economic pressure cooker we are in—but many know the reality, and it hurts.

Regards,

Mel Pennington
Mayor, City of Hartsville