Sunday Liquor Sales Fails to Pass Minnesota Senate; Growler Sales Approved: The Growler

Sunday Liquor Sales Fails to Pass Minnesota Senate; Growler Sales Approved.

Indiana House To Vote On Sunday Sales Tomorrow

The Indiana House will vote on second reading tomorrow on House Bill 1624, which permits limited Sunday sales of alcohol, as well as several new restrictions on sales in grocery and drug stores. Tomorrow’s session begins at 10 am (EST). The bill, if passed, must receive a third reading in the House by next Wednesday, in order for it to move on to the Senate.

The digest of the bill reads as follows:

DIGEST

“Sale of alcoholic beverages. Provides that a holder of an alcoholic beverage permit who is authorized by law to sell alcoholic beverages for carryout may sell alcoholic beverages for carryout on Sunday from 7 a.m., prevailing local time, until 3 a.m., prevailing local time, the following day. Requires alcoholic beverage sales in a drug store or grocery store to be rung up by a sales clerk and liquor in a drug store to be accessed by a sales clerk who: (1) has an employee permit; and (2) has alcohol server training. Provides that the provision that allows individuals who are Sale of alcoholic beverages. Provides that a holder of an alcoholic beverage permit who is authorized by law to sell alcoholic beverages for carryout may sell alcoholic beverages for carryout on Sunday from 7 a.m., prevailing local time, until 3 a.m., prevailing local time, the following day. Requires alcoholic beverage sales in a drug store or grocery store to be rung up by a sales clerk and liquor in a drug store to be accessed by a sales clerk who: (1) has an employee permit; and (2) has alcohol server training. Provides that the provision that allows individuals who are at least 19 but less than 21 years of age to ring a sale of alcoholic beverages in the course of the individual’s employment does not apply to dealer establishments. Makes it unlawful for: (1) the holder of a liquor dealer’s permit, other than a package liquor store, to sell or distribute liquor through a self-service display; (2) the holder of a beer dealer’s permit or wine dealer’s permit to display beer or wine or beer and wine in more than one area or aisle of a licensed premises unless the alcohol is displayed in another partitioned area or room that is separate from other retail items for sale on the premises; and (3) a person who is the proprietor of a package liquor store, drug store, or grocery store to allow a purchaser, or any other person who is not a sales clerk, to ring up or otherwise record an alcoholic beverage sale. Establishes requirements and restrictions for certain drug stores or grocery stores and restaurants that are located in the same building.”

The entire bill can be found here:

HB1624.02.COMH

Committee Hearing To Be Held Wednesday Morning On Possible Indiana Sunday Sales Compromise

The Indiana House Public Policy Committee will be meeting tomorrow morning, February 11th at 9am (EST) to debate a possible compromise on ongoing efforts to lift Indiana’s ban on Sunday liquor sales. The committee meeting will be held in the Indiana House Chamber, per the Indiana General Assembly website.

According to the Indianapolis Star, Chairman Rep. Tom Dermody plans to introduce the compromise measure at the hearing, which would allow Sunday alcohol sales at any store with an alcohol permit, though it will require more stringent restrictions on retailers other than package liquor stores. The proposed retail restrictions “…would require hard liquor to be sold from behind a counter and would require beer and wine to be located in a single aisle or a separate room…” In addition, the compromise would require retail clerks to receive alcohol server training and permits, according to the Star. To read more, go to http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2015/02/10/compromise-brewing-sunday-alcohol-sales/23182231/.

To monitor tomorrow’s hearing, go to the Indiana General Assembly’s website at https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2015/committees/public_policy_1600.

Dermody proposes legalizing Sunday retail alcohol sales : The Times of Northwest Indiana

This is huge for the “Sunday Sales” movement, as Rep. Thomas Dermody is the Chairman of the House Public Policy committee. Currently, proposed HB 1624 would permit Sunday sales from 10am to 6pm on Sundays. Per, the Times article, Rep. Dermody is possibly looking to change the language as it goes forward. The bill will be before the House Public Policy committee for a hearing.

Dermody proposes legalizing Sunday retail alcohol sales : Politics.

Here is the latest version of HB 1624, authored by Rep. Dermody (R- Dist. 20), and co-authored by Rep. Terri Jo Austin (D- Dist. 36) and Rep. Sean Eberhart (R- Dist. 57), who both also are members of the Public Policy committee.

HB1624.01.INTR

New Coalition Formed To Seek Repeal of Indiana’s Ban On Sunday Liquor Sales

As the next session of the Indiana General Assembly prepares to begin in earnest in January, a new coalition of the consumers and retail businesses has formed to lead the charge to repeal Indiana’s long-standing ban on Sunday liquor sales. The group, Hoosiers For Sunday Sales, was officially launched at the beginning of December and has already established a website at http://hoosiersforsundaysales.com/, as well as a Facebook page and Tweeter feed (@SundaySalesIN). In addition, according to an December 1st article by Tony Cook in the Indianapolis Star, the group has hired Megan Robertson, who managed the successful campaign earlier this year to stall efforts to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage on behalf of Freedom Indiana.

According to the article (http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2014/12/01/new-coalition-push-sunday-alcohol-sales/19747005/) this new coalition has already picked up the support of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the Indiana Retail Council, which represents grocery stores. The coalition will have to face off against the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers, representing retail liquor stores, who have argued that lifting the Prohibition-era ban will drive small liquor stores out of business by giving large nationally-owned grocery stores an unfair advantage. In addition, the Sunday ban has also been historically supported by various religious and social groups, who oppose the additional availability of alcohol. However, Cook’s article cites a WISH-TV/Ball State Hoosier Survey, which found that an expansion of Sunday alcohol sales has the support of more than 52% of the state.

The group argues that sales and tax dollars (their website states a potential loss of $10-12 million) are being lost by the state, which is surrounded by Midwest states that do not prohibit Sunday sales. On their website, the group cites that only 12 states continue to prohibit carryout alcohol sales, and Indiana is the only state that prohibits carryout sales for consumption at home, but allows Sunday alcohol sales by the drink at bars, restaurants and sports venues.

Looking ahead to the upcoming session, it appears that the House and Senate Public Policy committees will be the likely battlegrounds for the coalition’s efforts. The House’s committee chairman is LaPorte Republican Rep. Tom Dermody and his Senate counterpart is Lafayette Republican State Senator Ron Alting.

MBW will be tracking this effort as it moves along early in the new year.