Sunday Sales
Indiana lawmakers are deciding whether to allow Sunday alcohol sales in grocery and liquor stores.
Proponents say Hoosiers want to be able to buy beer, wine and spirits on Sunday, opponents say it will lead to more alcohol-related problems and that mom and pop stores will lose money from having to be open an extra day.
I have never quite Indiana’s alcohol laws to be quite frank. It makes no sense to me that I can’t buy liquor at the grocery store on Sunday, take it home and enjoy it. But I can go to the local bar, get all good and liquored up, get behind the wheel of my Mitsubishi and play Speed Racer.
Liquor store owners say if alcohol is sold on Sundays they won’t be able to able to compete with the bigger box stores. I respectfully disagree. First of all, if you are providing good service and have loyal customers they are going to stay with you, regardless.
Second, some liquor store owners say they don’t want to work on Sunday. Tough. In the 21st century we all have to work when we would rather be doing something else. And there’s no law that says you have to be open on Sunday if being open is going to cost you money. There are a number of establishments in Indianapolis that are closed on Sundays but still manage to compete just fine with businesses that are open.
It’s time to bring Indiana’s alcohol laws into the 21st century. Who wouldn’t drink to that?
September 16th, 2009 at 6:36 am
Think that law is bad, how about the law not allowing car dealerships to be open on Sunday?
September 16th, 2009 at 7:32 am
Is that really still a law, Paul? I thought it was just accepted practice.
My only fear is, that small package liquor stores, the true local businesspeople, will somehow get shoved aside in this legislation. If they want to stay open on Sunday too, that's great.
Bear with me, but this is somewhat related, and hilarious:
Former Sen. Louie Mahern was once fed-up with a lengthy floor debate regarding a pending bill to outlaw sales of Playboys and Penthouses in convenience stores.
A northern far-right senator suggested that because some C-stores have alcohol too, they absolutely shouldn't be allowed to sell alcohol and “porn”.
At that point, Louie had his fill. He walked to the podium, and said:
“Some of you labor under the theory that an open Playboy next to an open beer is a bad thing. I do not subscribe to that theory.”
He's undoubtedly chuckling at the current debate, too.
September 16th, 2009 at 7:35 am
Agree with blog and point above. Being “old fashioned” or different is not always a good trait. Indiana only one of three states that outlaw store sales of alcohol on Sunday. Even though I have not had an alcoholic beverage in many years it is an antiquated law—and have less compassion for the liquor stores that cry about unfair competition–interesting observation for a business with all the controls on distribution and laws to protect (ex: out of state sales of wine, etc. etc.) Past time to move on.
September 16th, 2009 at 7:52 am
No, TA, it is an actual law.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Can I get an Amen? Seriously? What is the big deal? Aren't we supposed to have separation of church and state? I'm assuming this law was based on antiquated, religiously based values.
Let's move into the 21st century folks.
And further, I'm tired of hearing liquor stores whine that they'd lost money if they had to open on Sundays. Can anyone explain the logic behind that statement? Why would they lose any more money competing w/ big box stores on Sunday than they already do any other day of the week? And news flash.. if you don't want to open on Sundays.. Don't! But don't restrict access to the rest of us.
September 16th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Did you know that Charlie White belonged to a fraternity at Wabash that was founded because of a racial incident at another house in 1991?
In the Spring of 1991, one of the officers of the Teke House called the African-American President of the Lambda Chi House the N word in front of a bunch of high schoolers during a Rush function. This is not in dispute, considering the officer admitted to that in front of the chapter's faculty advisor the next week. In fact, the officer really didn't see what the big deal was.
The chapter attempted to punish the officer for the gross violation of chapter conduct rules, and the officer and a large faction of the house, instead of owning up to this incident, chose to leave the house and form their own chapter.
Charlie was friends with several Tekes at the time this happened, and couldn't have not known about the racial incident that caused the chapter split. Yet, in the fall of 1992, he was a proud member of the new house founded by the Wabash students who thought that open bigotry was AOK.
Republicans are really big into “past associations”, so now I think it would be appropriate for someone to ask Charlie why exactly he chose to align himself with a racist fraternity.
September 16th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
I swear we had the same set of reasons/excuses/laments back in the 60's when even grocery stores closed at 5pm on Sunday. It was going to be the death of our way of life if we had Sunday evening hours or *gasp* 24-hour stores.
In fact, we had somewhat similar debates about self-service gas stations.
September 16th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Where's the majority of customers purchasing their alcohol, in grocery stores or liquor stores? It use to be most people would never do their grocery shopping on Sundays, however, with kids sporting events and the busy lifestyles we have these days, selling alcohol on Sundays should be for the convenience of the customer, not whether liquor stores want to be open or not. Customers should not have to return to stores during the week for the purchase of alcohol.
I remember a time when all the shopping malls were closed on Sundays, then the Kmarts and the Ayrways, etc. decided to be open and forced the malls to compete.
Why should the liquor stores be an exception to competition?
And to the idiot who said it good that we have “one” dry day a week,
just because the alcohol is purchased on Sunday doesn't mean that it is consumed on that Sunday.
September 16th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
OK, I'll bite. Who is Charlie White?
Logic: calm down. I didn't say that liquor stores wouldn't open on Sunday. I said I wanted local liquor stores to succeed, and it's hard, when you're competing against large chains that (sometimes illegally) have loss-leaders to draw people in, and they buy in such huge quantities.
I suspect existing law is meant, at least partially, to protect those small businesses. And the above poster is right–it was a law written when we were much more rural and our laws were, well, more Christian-favored. Which is not the case so much any more.
I know this: if the Krogers and CVS stores of the world start to edge out local liquor stores, we all lose. Price isn't everything. And the right to sell alcohol isn't automatic–it comes with stipulations and responsibililty, and the state should exercise some control, using whatever reasonable standards they feel are correct. It is their fiduciary responsibility.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
I don't understand the arguement concerning protecting local liquor stores from big-box stores. They are competing 6 days a week now. What makes a difference if need to compete on a 7th day? If Kroger or CVS wanted to edge out local liquor stores, they could do so now. What does that have to do with Sunday sales? How does being open one extra day interfer with the state exercising some control on alcohol sales? Can someone please explain?
September 16th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
I'm 100% in favor of supporting the 21st amendment in the 21st century.
September 16th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
The auto dealers don't want to open on Sunday Paul. They lobby against change to the law themselves through their own professional association in Indiana. Those who would buy on Sunday will wait until Monday if they haven’t a choice.
September 16th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
The auto dealers don't want to open on Sunday Paul. They lobby against change to the law themselves through their own professional association in Indiana. Those who would buy on Sunday will wait until Monday if they haven’t a choice.
September 16th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Charlie White is running for Secretary of State.
September 16th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
It is an antiquated law. But anyone in Indiana can buy alcohol until 3 a.m. Sunday morning. Is this really even worth the debate? Heres a thought: plan ahead!
September 17th, 2009 at 12:05 am
Or here's a thought: The government shouldn't tell anyone how to run their business, or when/where/what time they can purchase a legal product.
September 17th, 2009 at 4:19 am
“Indiana lawmakers are deciding whether to allow Sunday alcohol sales in grocery and liquor stores.”
“Whether to allow”??? Does anyone else see the irony here? Government is deciding “whether to allow” something. If the People want this, OR, if it causes NO HARM against a person, then why is government involved?
September 17th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Aires–alcohol sales do two things which demand the state's aggressive involvement:
1. Generate huge sales tax and alcohol tax revenue.
2. Can, if sold without due diligence, result in serious bodily harm
So for my money, the state isn't doing enough to police this. If they were, we'd see more DUIs and more establishments losing their licenses for selling to obviously-drunk patrons.
It absolutely IS a logical and correct function of state government.
September 17th, 2009 at 11:31 am
I think the liquor stores are most worried about losing cold beer sales.
September 17th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
While I recognize that the State has the right to police sales of alcohol, there is very little evidence to show the State is currently doing so correctly.
If the State is not policing the sale of alcohol in the matter the people want (by outlawing Sunday sales, which is just stupid and based upon outdated religious beliefs), it is the responsibility of the legislators to act upon the feedback they have received and vote their conscious.
September 17th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Yes, you are correct. But that doesn't really excuse the creation of a law to require people car dealers to take the day off. And I'm sure it's not 100% universal that ever car dealer would prefer to be closed on Sunday.
September 17th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Aires–alcohol sales do two things which demand the state's aggressive involvement:
1. Generate huge sales tax and alcohol tax revenue.
2. Can, if sold without due diligence, result in serious bodily harm
So for my money, the state isn't doing enough to police this. If they were, we'd see more DUIs and more establishments losing their licenses for selling to obviously-drunk patrons.
It absolutely IS a logical and correct function of state government.
September 17th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
I think the liquor stores are most worried about losing cold beer sales.
September 17th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
While I recognize that the State has the right to police sales of alcohol, there is very little evidence to show the State is currently doing so correctly.
If the State is not policing the sale of alcohol in the matter the people want (by outlawing Sunday sales, which is just stupid and based upon outdated religious beliefs), it is the responsibility of the legislators to act upon the feedback they have received and vote their conscious.
September 17th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Yes, you are correct. But that doesn't really excuse the creation of a law to require people car dealers to take the day off. And I'm sure it's not 100% universal that ever car dealer would prefer to be closed on Sunday.