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Sunday booze bill advances

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published February 22, 2008 at 11:35 a.m.

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Bill Allowing Sunday Liquor Purchases Sails Through Senate

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon

Liquor store owners may soon be popping their champagne corks.

A bill that would allow them to sell liquor on Sundays sailed through second reading this morning without any discussion.

A few opponents voted against Senate Bill 82 on a voice vote, but none spoke up. The bill now proceeds to final reading on Monday morning, then if it passes as easily as it did today, will head to the House.

"Fundamentally, the law is outdated,'' said Sen. Jennifer Veiga, D-Denver. "It's an issue of consumer convenience.''

Sunday liquor sales have not been allowed in Colorado since 1933, when Prohibition was lifted.

Veiga said it was time to move businesses into the current era where many families spend Sundays running errands rather than attending religious services.

Veiga said 34 other states allow Sunday liquor sales and studies show that revenues for store owners will climb about 8 to 12 percent, thereby boosting excise and sales tax revenues by about $6 million.

Comments

  • February 22, 2008

    11:40 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    EZBakeOven writes:

    It's about time!

  • February 22, 2008

    11:42 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Diff writes:

    So people are running errands on Sunday and do not observe it as a religious holiday - so lets get them liquored on Sunday instead!
    Whoop de do Heee hawww!

  • February 22, 2008

    11:58 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    VoiceOfTheRockies writes:

    On the positive side this may in theory cut down on the number of Sunday DUIs. Maybe alcoholics will choose to drink at home instead of getting liquored up at the local tavern and driving home while stinking drunk?

  • February 22, 2008

    12:20 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Zinnia79 writes:

    Yeah. NO more stocking up beer on Saturday. Will this increase the rate of DUI's? We shall see.

  • February 22, 2008

    12:21 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    dirkle writes:

    From VoiceoftheRockies (above)

    "this may in theory cut down on the number of Sunday DUIs. Maybe alcoholics will choose to drink at home instead of getting liquored up at the local tavern and driving home while stinking drunk"

    Bump. I agree and think you are 100% correct there. I was once years ago a bigtime juicer / partyhound (no more) and have friends who unfortunately remain so. Half of them still pile in the car and hit a bar on Sunday afternoon / evenings because they can't get their fix in a store and take it home.

    Anything that keeps more drunk drivers off the road is a good thing.

    I just feel sorry for retail liquor store clerks, some of whom now likely will have one less day off they can count on.

  • February 22, 2008

    12:23 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jmkratt writes:

    Posted by Diff on February 22, 2008 at 11:42 a.m.

    "So people are running errands on Sunday and do not observe it as a religious holiday - so lets get them liquored on Sunday instead!
    Whoop de do Heee hawww!"

    Worst. Post. Ever.

  • February 22, 2008

    12:29 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    DahmersCookbook writes:

    This will catapult me into A binge that will go down history! The world aint so bad after all. I now know what I have to blow my Presidental Refund on, one liquor store, one time, wrecklessly and selfishly with demanding authority. I must begin trainig tonight at the Mynt.

  • February 22, 2008

    12:49 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    EZBakeOven writes:

    Yep, instead of praying and bible study on Sundays I shall now get my drunk on, whoop de do heee hawww!

  • February 22, 2008

    1:07 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    renaldo_phlegm writes:

    I'm all for getting religion out of our state laws, but wish the article had also mentioned how these same liquor store owners just finished lobbying against a bill to allow supermarkets to carry regular beer and alcohol. Their entire argument was "We'd lose money." So, for the sake of the 100 liquor store owners who showed up, our representatives chose to deny the millions of Colorado consumers open competition and cheaper prices.

  • February 22, 2008

    1:11 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    kmeissner writes:

    freethought... are you brain-damaged? how about maybe buying multiple bottles? Or maybe not drinking EVERY night.

  • February 22, 2008

    1:53 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Diff writes:

    Wow!
    Major failure at an attempt of HUMOR....
    but seriously..
    come on people - seems this little subject is being taken WAY TOO seriously -
    jmkratt: I think yours tops mine as worst ever - you could not even say anything original - but you copied mine, and then whine on about how it's the worst - I think that is worse
    How many of your posts get copied
    Hey isn't that plagiarism?

    DUI's = about the same
    MIP = about the same
    Sales at liquor stores = about the same
    Sales at the local bar = about the same
    Who really gives a rodents rectum about this?
    laugh people it's Friday!

    Oh and Ricky - it is 50% of my weekend too, so keep your drunk butt off my street cause with me and my neighbors we got enough drunk butts on it already!
    ( you see we used to go buy it all on Friday to cover the whole weekend and nurse that hangover on Monday morning too)

  • February 22, 2008

    2:13 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Diff writes:

    See, not such a bad thing!
    None of us will get out this deal alive anyway - might as well at least laugh it up while you are here!

  • February 22, 2008

    2:29 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jmkratt writes:

    Posted by Diff on February 22, 2008 at 1:53 p.m.
    "Major failure at an attempt of HUMOR...."

    Couldn't have said it better myself!

    1. It's not copying, it's quoting
    2. By quoting I am giving you the credit for the post = opposite of plagiarism

    :points and laughs

  • February 22, 2008

    2:37 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    DahmersCookbook writes:

    There is only one way you guys can settle this... "The Boot" ,if your not men enough you could 'Keg Stand', 'Beer Bong', 'Shotgun', 'Beer Buddy', 'Chug' or Shot fer Shot last man standing. First Sunday its' on!

  • February 22, 2008

    2:49 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    infidel91 writes:

    Diff:

    You keep insisting that this is no big deal, and that nobody should care, and that it isn't any kind of victory for anyone.

    Given that governments federal, state, and local do almost nothing but pass more and more laws regulating an ever-greater portion of our lives, some of us regard the rare occasion when we become even just a tiny bit more free as cause for celebration.

    Why do you have such contempt for that?

  • February 22, 2008

    3:11 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Diff writes:

    Infidel - I have no contempt for that - I do however for stupidity!
    Can't you READ?
    Humor - joke - a laughable metaphor

    Jmkrat - give you that one -but next time ask my permision or I'll "lawyer up"
    ;->

  • February 22, 2008

    3:12 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    hank_buzzsaw writes:

    great, now another day the ol'lady needs to run and hide from my abusive ways! hahaha, this is great.....

  • February 22, 2008

    3:34 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    infidel91 writes:

    Diff:

    I read quite well, and have read not only today's posts, but also your posts on this subject from (last week?) Whether you try to dismiss it as "humor" or not, the common thread of all of your posts about Sunday sales has been pretty much as I described above.

    Do you have an answer other than attempting to dismiss me as stupid?

  • February 22, 2008

    3:34 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jmkratt writes:

    Fair enough, Diff. We're good, I actually agree with you on the issue just am bored at work just as I assume you are. ;)

  • February 22, 2008

    4:11 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Diff writes:

    Infidel; I did make the arguement that it is an unnecessary change!
    I found it actually funny that people seemed too inconvenienced to plan a head and felt that liquor stores needed to be open Sunday..
    Untimatly this one matters not, and will make little difference to me, one way or the other! I could actually not care less. I did make the argument for the sake of the debate. Why is it you cannot accept what I say now? Why do you feel the need to hammer away at me?
    Does it somehow help you feel better, brighter,smarter and raise your self worth - if so (as pathetic as it is) have at it! Good for you!
    TODAY - it was humor - nothing more, nothing less. You help make the only half serious point I was making today - that this subject is being taken a bit too seriously by at by least some... and some take them-selfs too seriously too...

    Infidel - Get over it, and get over yourself!
    JM gets it - Hi5...
    Have good weekend all...
    OUT!

  • February 22, 2008

    4:34 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    infidel91 writes:

    rude
    incoherent
    cowardly
    and a pseudo-intellectual nihilist loser to boot.

    Nice talkin' to ya!

  • February 22, 2008

    4:38 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Diff writes:

    Hope you fell oh so much better - Infidel.
    Did you write that line in "The Breakfast Club"
    about Zoomie Maxxi Dweeb thing?

    you kinda sound like that!

  • February 22, 2008

    4:39 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    infidel91 writes:

    Didn't think you'd really left.

  • February 22, 2008

    4:42 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Diff writes:

    Had to look for one more laugh - thanks!

    What a jag-off!

    HeeeeeeeeHeeeeeHeeeee

  • February 22, 2008

    4:44 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    infidel91 writes:

    And that concludes our show for today. Tune in tomorrow for more of "Diff's Deep Thoughts."

  • February 22, 2008

    8:35 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    BirdonaWire writes:

    you losers make me want to drink.

  • February 22, 2008

    9:40 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    MollysDad writes:

    With that in mind Charles B. Whoop de do Heee hawww! or jag off it's a toss up, not a tossed salad. In regards to keeping the state out of religion and vise versa, do me favor and check out the holiday display setup on the courthouse steps in downtown Denver. I saw a lot of red and green. No stars of David or Kwanza colors ad I'm a Christian mind you. I'm disappointed that the law to sell alcohol in grocery stores didn't pass. That's just another exscuse for the liquor stores to retain a monopoly. For the liquor store owners to say that they would go bankrupt is laughable. Why is it that all of these other states sell liquour beer and wine in their grocery stores and yet you still see liquor stores on every other corner?

  • February 23, 2008

    10:30 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Brain writes:

    They still can't sell on Christmas, why is that?