[Southsider2k12]

http://indianapublicmedia.org/news/house-r...law-week-44196/

The Indiana House of Representatives plans to hold its first-ever committee hearing this week on whether to lift the state’s ban on Sunday alcohol sales.

Study committees have already reviewed the so-called blue law, but when House Public Policy Chairman, Bill Davis gavels in his committee, it will be the first time the House has considered a bill on the subject.

House Speaker Brian Bosma says he cannot predict the outcome but supports Davis’ decision to review the law in a public debate rather than a private one.

“I have no idea how the bill will fare, but I think it‘s appropriate to have a discussion of it,” he says. “We’ve heard from a lot of folks on both sides of the issue, and Representative Davis wants to give them an opportunity to have a public discussion of it, not just one that takes place behind closed doors elsewhere.”

Davis says he has not decided whether he will allow a vote on the bill, nor which way he‘ll vote himself if he does. But following pressure from lobbyists on both sides of whether or not alcohol sales should take place on Sunday Davis is certain that this is the right time to review the law.

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/201...nday-sales-ban-

The House Public Policy Committee will hold the hearing at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 6.

“It hasn’t been discussed here in quite some time in the form of a committee hearing,” Bosma said. “There has been a lot of discussion among legislators and among folks who have been on one side or the other.”

The powerful package liquor store lobby has been able for years to block any change, arguing that allowing Sunday sales would let national grocery and big-box stores drive smaller locally owned package liquor stores out of business.

While most states limit Sunday alcohol sales in some ways, Hoosiers face the broadest restrictions. Indiana prohibits Sunday sales of beer, wine and liquor at grocery and package liquor stores.

[Tim]

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/201...nday-sales-ban-

"The powerful package liquor store lobby has been able for years to block any change, arguing that allowing Sunday sales would let national grocery and big-box stores drive smaller locally owned package liquor stores out of business."

Um - what? How does that make sense? Everyone sells liquor six days a week, but add one more day and that will allow the big guys to bury the little guys?

I wonder how far back the no-booze-on Sundays laws go. I'm thinking back to Sunday-go-to-meetin' days.

[MCRogers1974]

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/201...nday-sales-ban-

It is called "competition". The consumer is the winner in the end when competition is allowed. Kabelin's Hardware survives along side of Lowe's, Menards, WalMart, etc. Kabelin's survives because they offer FAR better customer service.

[Southsider2k12]

Great message Indiana. Go out to drink, and then drive home, instead of getting something to drink at home.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20130213/N...?nclick_check=1

Hoosiers will have to continue skipping past the beer, wine and spirits section at grocery stores when they go shopping on Sundays.

Indiana House Public Policy Committee Chairman Bill Davis has decided against holding a committee vote on legislation to allow Sunday alcohol sales. As chairman, it’s his call.

“We have ample opportunities for people to be able to have access to alcohol in the state of Indiana,” he said. “It’s not like we can’t get it six days a week. It’s not an issue that I think is urgent. I think we have time as we go forward to deal with this issue.”

Alcohol sales are handled differently in each of the 50 states. But Indiana has the nation’s broadest restrictions on Sunday sales: a ban of beer, wine and liquor sales at grocery and package liquor stores. The blue law has been on the books since Prohibition, initially for religious reasons and later for economic reasons.

Most recently, the powerful package liquor store lobby has blocked the change, arguing that allowing Sunday sales would give nationally-owned grocery stores an advantage and drive smaller, locally owned, package liquor stores out of business.

Davis’ committee heard three hours of public testimony Jan. 30, mostly from lobbyists for and against the measure. Davis, R-Portland, said he noted members of the broader public were largely absent from the hearing.

“I think we need to hear from the public on how they feel about Sunday sales of alcohol,” said Davis. “And I don’t think through the hearing process, there was a clear direction on that either way.”

Davis said Sunday sales is not a pressing issue — he pointed toward education and job creation as priorities — and he expected to consider legislation again in 2014.

Indiana will continue to lose tax revenue to neighboring states because of the ban, said Grant Monahan, president of the Indiana Retail Council, which represents grocery stores. All of the state’s neighbors allow some level of Sunday sales.

John Livengood, president of the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers, countered that Davis’ decision is good news for consumers. He pointed to a study that package liquor stores would close if sales were expanded. And liquor stores, he said, often have better selections.

[Tim]

Great message Indiana. Go out to drink, and then drive home, instead of getting something to drink at home.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20130213/N...?nclick_check=1

It's a stupid law from decades ago. Solution - buy twice as much Saturday afternoon, and try not to drink twice as much Saturday night.

[Southsider2k12]

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/24148717-537/...ohol-sales.html

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Supporters of ending Indiana’s longtime ban on Sunday retail alcohol sales are hoping a change in leadership of a key legislative committee has improved their chances of success.

That change is the appointment of Republican Rep. Tom Dermody of LaPorte as chairman of the House Public Policy Committee following the resignation of previous chairman Rep. Bill Davis of Portland. Davis resigned from the Legislature last month to accept Gov. Mike Pence’s appointment as director of the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.

That House committee held a hearing during this year’s legislative session on lifting the Sunday ban, but Davis refused to bring it up for a vote.

Dermody’s selection by House Speaker Brian Bosma to lead the committee has Sunday sales supporters seeing a new opening.

“I think the selection of Rep. Dermody to chair the public policy committee is a positive development for those of us in support of Sunday sales,” said Grant Monahan, president of the Indiana Retail Council, which has long pushed for lifting of the ban.

Indiana is the only state that prohibits retail carryout sales of beer, wine and liquor on Sundays, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

Liquor store owners have opposed lifting the Sunday ban, arguing the change would benefit large chain grocery and convenience stores that don’t face age restrictions on who can enter and don’t have the same requirement of hiring clerks with state liquor licenses.

Dermody told The Indianapolis Star that he hasn’t made any decisions about the issue, but is committed to hearing from both sides.

“I’m going to know a lot more in the next 40 days,” Dermody said, referring to the start of the 2014 legislative session on Jan. 6. “The one thing I can tell you is we’re going to start on time and each side will get a fair hearing.”

Dermody pushed an Indiana Retail Council-backed measure this year that would’ve sped up when Amazon.com would start collecting the state’s 7 percent sales tax for online sales. That provision passed the House, but failed in the Senate.

Lifting the ban could continue to face a roadblock in the Senate, where Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, has also declined to take action on the proposal in the Public Policy Committee he leads.

Patrick Tamm, president of the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers, which represents liquor stores, said he’s not worried about Dermody’s appointment.

New committee chairmen “always take a fresh perspective on things,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything is going to change, he said.

Sen. Phil Boots, R-Crawfordsville, expects to introduce a Senate bill lifting the Sunday sales ban. Boots said Dermody’s appointment was a boost.

“I haven’t had any discussions with him, but I think he’s potentially more receptive than the previous chairman,” Boots said. “... I’m optimistic, but I’m not confident. I’m hopeful.”

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/backers-mak...s-push/30016662

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Some business groups are beginning a new push for ending Indiana's longtime ban on Sunday alcohol sales at retail stores.

The Hoosiers for Sunday Sales coalition is starting a campaign Tuesday to build support for legislation that would allow such sales in groceries, pharmacies and liquor and convenience stores. The group includes the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the Indiana Retail Council, which represents grocery stores.

Liquor store owners have opposed lifting the Sunday ban, arguing the change would benefit large chain grocery and convenience stores. Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers CEO Patrick Tamm tells The Indianapolis Star (http://indy.st/1AbA19x ) the lobbying push is a repeat of previous unsuccessful efforts.

Senate Public Policy Committee Chairman Ron Alting of Lafayette says the issue will get serious consideration among legislators.

[taxthedeer]

Sunday sales would be OK along with Drive-Thru liquor stores like the have in many other states. Buying cold beer at the mini-marts like Fanily Express and Speedway should remain outlawed.

[Southsider2k12]

I see that the Sunday alcohol sales in Indiana laws have become a topic in the statehouse again, and wanted to offer my thoughts to the fray.

First of all, the laws that we have make absolutely no sense. There is the remnants of the blue laws in our current set up, which led to the ban of alcohol sales on Sunday's basically for religious reasons. Today with all of the loopholes in the law, it isn't any sort of a ban anymore. It is a confusing jumble of where you can and can't buy.

At the core of the ridiculousness is the idea that you can't buy alcohol on a Sunday from a regular store or liquor store, and take it home. Instead you have to figure out which specific institutions either have a special license to be open on Sunday, or go somewhere that has an exemption to the service laws because they sell a certain amount of food.

Now I am going to stop right there. The laws for getting an alcoholic beverage in the State of Indiana, on a Sunday, are set up to force to you go out and drink, and then find a way home... most likely driving. How in the world does that make any sense? You can't buy something to take home and drink, but you can go out and drink, then drive home.

The next point is that being a state with four other states at it borders, including Michigan City being a 10/15 minute drive to the State of Michigan, that have no laws against Sunday sales. What that means is the State of Indiana is missing out on all of those taxes (Sales and Liquor) to our border states, for every single person who buys out of state, because Indiana will not allow for sales. The State of Indiana doesn't need to be in the business of allowing its tax revenue to flow to other states. Keep it here.

Finally the opposition to changing these laws to reflect some common sense is mostly in the hands of the actual liquor stores in the State of Indiana. They seem to be worried about the additional costs of being open another day. For my two cents, obviously the demand is there, otherwise there wouldn't be people driving to other states and to bars/casino's/restaurants that serve on Sundays. Another point is that just because it is legal to be open, doesn't mean that individual stores cannot choose to either stay closed on Sunday, or pick another day to be closed on in consideration of their labor costs. Finally, what other industry has a state law for no other reason than to protect their small piece of a business? The people of the State of Indiana shouldn't be held up just because liquor stores don't want to pay people to work on Sunday's.

To the State of Indiana: It is time to use some common sense here, and re-write the laws for alcohol sales to make sense.

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.wndu.com/home/headlines/Key-law...-289348951.html

Key lawmaker sponsors bill to allow Sunday alcohol sales in Ind.
Updated: Wed 5:13 PM, Jan 21, 2015
By: The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A bill that would end Indiana's long-running ban on Sunday carryout alcohol sales is being sponsored by the Indiana House committee chairman who will help decide its fate.

House Public Policy Committee Chairman Tom Dermody of LaPorte has authored the bill that would allow groceries, pharmacies and liquor stores to sell alcohol on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

With Dermody leading the committee that sets alcohol policy, the bill should have a better chance at advancing to the Legislature after numerous failed attempts in recent years. Supporters of the bill say the ban costs stores millions of dollars annually in sales.

Liquor store owners fear that lifting the ban would increase their operating costs without generating any additional revenue.

[Tim]

"Liquor store owners fear that lifting the ban would increase their operating costs without generating any additional revenue."

Huh? How does that makes sense? So - the less days you're open, the more money you make?

[Southsider2k12]

"Liquor store owners fear that lifting the ban would increase their operating costs without generating any additional revenue."

Huh? How does that makes sense? So - the less days you're open, the more money you make?

Walk by the cashiers in a place like Wal-Mart or Meijer on a Sunday and see how much alcohol is sitting by them that they weren't allowed to sell. Any numbers that say no additional revenue are flat out wrong.

[Ang]

Well, as far as I'm concerned, if the liquor stores don't want to sell alcohol on Sunday's, they can stay closed.
I'm sure Al's and the other grocers won't have any trouble picking up the slack.

[Tim]

Well, as far as I'm concerned, if the liquor stores don't want to sell alcohol on Sunday's, they can stay closed.
I'm sure Al's and the other grocers won't have any trouble picking up the slack.

Absolutely. Sit home and watch tV while others store make e cash. (Rolls eyes at speed of light.)

[Southsider2k12]

The bill made it out of committee.

http://www.wndu.com/home/headlines/Committ...-291543951.html