Indiana state representatives in the Interim Study Committee on Alcoholic Beverages Issues met last Tuesday to discuss reversing the ban of Sunday alcohol sales.
Current Indiana legislation does not allow beer, wine or alcohol to be sold in convenience, grocery or liquor stores on Sundays. Overturning this legislation will allow all three items to be sold on one of the busiest shopping days of the week.
The committee will meet again on Oct. 20 and begin a final report on the issue. The final report will then return to the House and Senate in January for legislators to consider.
The 13-member committee was set up two years ago to examine alcohol issues, said Rep. Trent Van Haaften, D-76th District, chairperson of the committee.
Van Haaften said both sides of the argument were discussed during the meeting, but at this point he is unsure which way the vote will sway.
“They set certain laws many years ago, and we put limitations on the sale,” Van Haaften said. “Over time those limitations have been eroded to the benefits of some segments and to the detriment of others.”
Van Haaften said the argument falls on whether legislators want to regulate alcohol or keep restrictions on it. He said the issue has not come before the General Assembly in many years, and it may be tough to change the current legislation.
“I really can’t make a forecast,” Van Haaften said. “I do not see a compelling argument made to change the law.”
He said in terms of economics, the question is whether the new legislation will increase overall alcohol sales by adding a day or sales will remain the same but be spread out throughout seven days instead of six.
Sen. Ron Alting, R-22nd District, committee vice-chairperson, said the meeting exposed a heated atmosphere.
“It was like David and Goliath,” he said.
Alting said corporate retailers argued it would be vital to be able to sell alcohol on one of the busiest shopping days of the week. But he added that passing the legislation would bring up another issue: an extra day for the risk of selling alcohol to minors.
Indiana law states you have to be 21 to walk into a liquor store, Alting said, and this prevents stores from selling to minors. Alting added this could negatively affect package liquor stores.
“It would drastically put a lot of liquor stores out of business,” Alting said. “Liquor stores believe they’ll lose to big market stores. The convenience of shopping will bring customers there instead of driving to a package liquor store.”
Senator Robert Deig, D-49th District, also part of the committee, is against passing new legislation. He said he also believes it would kill the small liquor stores, except for Big Red Liquors, because their businesses are very close to town.
Deig said Indiana is a conservative state, which is a reason current legislation has remained the same for a number of years.
Indiana is one of only three states to ban the sale of wine, beer and liquor on Sunday.
“I don’t see it going into effect this year,” Deig said. “When you open up Sunday sales, you have more teen deaths and accidents. I think Sundays are a sacred day. Sundays are a day where people go to church and are there with their families. Most people take a break from alcohol and get back to the family atmosphere.”
The argument of putting small liquor stores out of business also brings in the question of operating costs.
Tim Cowden, who has owned Beverage Shop in Ellettsville for seven years, said legalizing Sunday alcohol sales will increase store expenses but not total revenue; liquor stores will be forced to stay open because of the competition.
“I’ve got to be able to compete with large stores,” Cowden said.
Cowden said large stores like Sam’s Club and Kroger would be able to succeed with a much lower profit margin than the liquor stores. He said the legislation might work for some states, but not for others.
“I think every state is different,” Cowden said. “Every state tries to do what’s in their best interest.”
State committee continues debate about Sunday alcohol sales; report to be released to House, Senate in Jan.
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