Good Question: Why Do We Wait For Laws To Go Into Effect?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- On Monday, the city of Minneapolis yanked Surdyk's liquor license for a month starting July 2, 2017. This came after the store opened on Sunday – four months before the new state law allowing Sunday liquor sales in Minnesota.
That news had Debbie from Fridley and Tony from Burnsville wanting to know: Why do we wait for laws to go into effect? Good Question.
After Governor Dayton signed same-sex marriage into law in May 2013, Minnesotans waited until Aug. 1, 2013 for the first wedding.
According to Minnesota statute, policy laws go into effect Aug. 1. Laws with any appropriation go into effect July 1, the start of Minnesota's fiscal year.
"If there's a new program or a new process, does a form have to be changed within a state agency," said Rep. Jenifer Loon, (R – Eden Prairie). "It gives time to prepare and time for people to be notified about that change."
Lawmakers can choose different dates for the law to go into effect. Jan. 1 is common for tax-related bills. Other bills go into the effect the day after they're signed, like the health insurance premium relief bill signed by Governor Dayton in January.
Representative Loon, the author of the Sunday liquor sales bill, said she chose July 1 for that law because the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association asked her to do so. She said stores wanted time to look at their finances, talk with customers and figure out staffing.
"I would have been happy to make the law effective immediately, but there was some concern there were some liquor store owners who weren't really keen on this," she said.
July 1 was a compromise because the MLBA said some of its stores wanted to take advantage of the Fourth of July holiday. The city of Minneapolis also needs time to revise its city ordinance to be in compliance with state law.
