Sunday Liquor Sales Efforts Fail ... Again
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP/WCCO) -- If it's a year that ends with a number, lawmakers will try to lift the state's ban on Sunday liquor sales. And they will fail.
The perennial effort cropped up Thursday in the House through an amendment to a minor liquor license bill. It was rejected on a 70-56 vote.
Minnesota is one of just 12 states that bans liquor stores from opening on Sundays. All of the states surrounding Minnesota allow Sunday liquor sales.
There was a fierce debate on the House floor over a measure to allow local governments to decide for themselves whether local stores could open on Sunday.
But it turned into a civics lesson over big box retailers, local control and American freedom.
"This is really about another example in our economy of where we have big box, big business versus small, local main street business," said Rep. Jason Isaacson, D--Little Canada. "And I am going to side with small local main street business every single time no matter what."
"Don't tell me when I want to buy a bottle of wine on Sunday, don't say to me 'Oh, you could have bought it on Friday,'" said Rep. Tina Liebling, D--Rochester. "You know, people shop when they need to shop. Don't tell them they should shop another day. This is America. People are supposed to shop on the day they want to shop."
"I think it's time that we step forward and allow municipalities to make that decision," said Rep. Jenifer Loon, an Eden Prairie Republican who put the amendment forward. "The consumers are asking for this. Liquor stores are asking for this."
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