- Jun 5, 2000
- 36,410
- 616
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About fricken time. Now they need to get rid of the law that bans auto sales on Sunday, how stupid is that???
State senator leading effort to repeal ban on Sunday liquor sales
written by: Adam Schrager (9NEWS Reporter)
Created: 1/19/2005 6:14 PM MST - Updated: 1/19/2005 7:20 PM MST
9NEWS reporter Adam Schrager says there is a fresh move at the Capitol to lift the ban on Sunday alcohol sales. 9NEWS at 6 p.m. Jan. 19, 2005.
The 18 states in blue have laws banning Sunday alcohol sales. Some of the most recent states to lift the bans include New York, Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Delaware, Rhode Island, Idaho and Kansas.
DENVER - Colorado's prohibition-era ban on Sunday liquor sales is being attacked at the state Capitol as "heavy-handed government" and in need of changing.
A measure to allow local governments the decision on whether alcohol should be sold on Sundays in their respective communities will be debated by the State in the coming weeks.
"It's a little Puritanical for government to say you can be open on a Sunday or not," said Sen. Jennifer Veiga (D-Denver), the sponsor of Senate Bill 77. "I've always found it ironic and frankly, silly, for the government to be involved in this activity."
So-called "blue laws" dictating permissible conduct on Sundays dates back to the 17th century in Connecticut when laws from the Puritan community were printed on blue paper. In Colorado, since Prohibition was repealed, the state has banned liquor sales on Sundays. Many in the liquor industry wish to keep it that way.
"The bottom line is the retail liquor store owners, who, I guess, in theory could economically benefit from this by being open on Sunday have no desire to be open on Sunday," said Dave Reitz, a state Capitol lobbyist for numerous liquor stores around Colorado. "Colorado's public has become used to setting their shopping patterns to meet the hours of sales Colorado currently has in place.
"The customers don't seem to be asking to... have Sunday sales either."
Veiga says she was approached by others in the liquor industry to sponsor the legislation. The Distilled Spirits Council, which represents hard liquor interests nationwide, has announced this is its top legislative priority around the country. In the last few years, 11 different states have removed "blue laws" on the books, permitting liquor sales on Sundays. Eighteen states, including Colorado, still ban the Sunday sales.
Unlike recent efforts, both at the Capitol and by activists seeking to change the law through a ballot initiative, Veiga's legislation does not remove all restrictions on Sunday liquor sales, but instead gives the decisions about Sunday sales from 12:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. to local governments. All previous statewide legislation failed and supporters for the proposed initiative failed to get the appropriate number of signatures to make the ballot.
"Liquor is actually regulated on a local basis in most aspects with the exception of this blanket law that you can't sell alcohol on Sundays," said Veiga. "If a jurisdiction determines it's in their best interest or their community's best interest to allow for limited alcohol sales on Sunday, they can authorize that, but the state government won't be telling them one way or another how to proceed."
Colorado's Beer Distributors Association also opposes the measure.
"Would it help us? Probably," said Steve Findley, the association's president. "Would we sell more beer? Probably. But that's not what we're after. We'd like to do the responsible thing and we think keeping current law is good right now."
A public hearing on Sen. Veiga's legislation will take place in the next few weeks.
The only other industry closed on Sundays by Colorado state law is the automotive industry.
State senator leading effort to repeal ban on Sunday liquor sales
written by: Adam Schrager (9NEWS Reporter)
Created: 1/19/2005 6:14 PM MST - Updated: 1/19/2005 7:20 PM MST
9NEWS reporter Adam Schrager says there is a fresh move at the Capitol to lift the ban on Sunday alcohol sales. 9NEWS at 6 p.m. Jan. 19, 2005.
The 18 states in blue have laws banning Sunday alcohol sales. Some of the most recent states to lift the bans include New York, Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Delaware, Rhode Island, Idaho and Kansas.
DENVER - Colorado's prohibition-era ban on Sunday liquor sales is being attacked at the state Capitol as "heavy-handed government" and in need of changing.
A measure to allow local governments the decision on whether alcohol should be sold on Sundays in their respective communities will be debated by the State in the coming weeks.
"It's a little Puritanical for government to say you can be open on a Sunday or not," said Sen. Jennifer Veiga (D-Denver), the sponsor of Senate Bill 77. "I've always found it ironic and frankly, silly, for the government to be involved in this activity."
So-called "blue laws" dictating permissible conduct on Sundays dates back to the 17th century in Connecticut when laws from the Puritan community were printed on blue paper. In Colorado, since Prohibition was repealed, the state has banned liquor sales on Sundays. Many in the liquor industry wish to keep it that way.
"The bottom line is the retail liquor store owners, who, I guess, in theory could economically benefit from this by being open on Sunday have no desire to be open on Sunday," said Dave Reitz, a state Capitol lobbyist for numerous liquor stores around Colorado. "Colorado's public has become used to setting their shopping patterns to meet the hours of sales Colorado currently has in place.
"The customers don't seem to be asking to... have Sunday sales either."
Veiga says she was approached by others in the liquor industry to sponsor the legislation. The Distilled Spirits Council, which represents hard liquor interests nationwide, has announced this is its top legislative priority around the country. In the last few years, 11 different states have removed "blue laws" on the books, permitting liquor sales on Sundays. Eighteen states, including Colorado, still ban the Sunday sales.
Unlike recent efforts, both at the Capitol and by activists seeking to change the law through a ballot initiative, Veiga's legislation does not remove all restrictions on Sunday liquor sales, but instead gives the decisions about Sunday sales from 12:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. to local governments. All previous statewide legislation failed and supporters for the proposed initiative failed to get the appropriate number of signatures to make the ballot.
"Liquor is actually regulated on a local basis in most aspects with the exception of this blanket law that you can't sell alcohol on Sundays," said Veiga. "If a jurisdiction determines it's in their best interest or their community's best interest to allow for limited alcohol sales on Sunday, they can authorize that, but the state government won't be telling them one way or another how to proceed."
Colorado's Beer Distributors Association also opposes the measure.
"Would it help us? Probably," said Steve Findley, the association's president. "Would we sell more beer? Probably. But that's not what we're after. We'd like to do the responsible thing and we think keeping current law is good right now."
A public hearing on Sen. Veiga's legislation will take place in the next few weeks.
The only other industry closed on Sundays by Colorado state law is the automotive industry.
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