Minnesota: Minnesota House votes to dump 159-year-old ban on Sunday liquor sales

 

Source: Pioneer Press

By CHRISTOPHER MAGAN

February 20, 2017

 

Minnesotans who enjoy a bloody Mary over brunch or a cold beer during a Vikings game have pushed for years to scrap the state’s 159-year-old ban on Sunday liquor sales, and on Monday state representatives finally listened.

 

The House voted 85-45 in favor of a bill that would end the ban that’s been on the books since Minnesota became a state in 1858. The flood of new support came from both Republicans and Democrats who backed the measure by a surprisingly large margin.

 

 “We have heard very clearly and very loudly from Minnesotans they want this, what they view as an antiquated law changed, and we are excited to do it today,” said House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown.

 

The repeal still needs to pass the Senate, where it has uncertain support, but if it is approved, Gov. Mark Dayton is expected to sign it. The House bill would allow liquor stores to be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays starting in July.

 

State Rep. Jenifer Loon, R-Eden Prairie, the chief sponsor of the bill, said the repeal received about 10 more votes than she expected from her House colleagues. Support of the repeal bill picked up 29 votes total – eight from Republicans and 21 from Democrats – since last year when a similar measure was defeated.

 

“I think it has been building momentum over the years. People have heard from their constituents more and it gave them a reason to change their vote,” Loon said.

 

Rep. Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester, noted that it took just a few years for the tide to turn against the ban. In 2013, more than 100 House members voted against allowing Sunday alcohol sales.

 

 “I’ve always thought it was wrong for government to tell businesses what days they should be open,” Liebling said.

 

Minnesota is one of a dozen states with similar “blue laws” that prohibit liquor stores from operating on Sundays. But those rules have been loosened in recent years with state lawmakers allowing things like the Sunday sale of beer jugs known as “growlers.”

 

OPPONENTS SAY SALES WON’T INCREASE ENOUGH

 

Opponents of the repeal re-emphasized past arguments that have helped to kill similar Sunday sales bills, but it was clear from the relatively short debate that opposition had waned. Monday was also the first time repeal of the ban made it to the House floor as a stand-alone bill; past votes have been on amendments to other legislation.

 

Opponents fear that allowing liquor stores to open on Sunday will give big-box and chain stores an unfair advantage over small, locally-owned businesses. They say sales will not increase enough to cover the cost of opening on an extra day.

 

Municipally owned liquor stores, the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association and the Teamsters Union all have argued against the repeal.

 

“I think it is discriminatory against the smaller businesses in terms of putting pressure on them to be open on Sunday,” said Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen, R-Glencoe, who also argued there were moral reasons to keep the Sunday ban.

 

CHANGING ATTITUDE

 

In the end, the consensus among lawmakers was that consumers’ attitudes have changed and they wanted the flexibility of buying alcohol on Sundays.

 

 “That’s when people are doing their shopping, and it is important for our economy to be able to meet that demand,” Loon said, adding that she hopes consumers will continue to patronize locally owned businesses.

 

The next test for the repeal comes Wednesday when it will be debated in the Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection. Supporters in that chamber say they are hopeful they can win enough votes.

 

Given the support in the House, Speaker Daudt said he was confident the repeal would pass the Senate.

 

“We are excited by the number of votes it passed by today,” Daudt said. “I think that tells a lot about the momentum behind this issue. I think it will have similar support in the Senate.”