Senate OKs Sunday liquor sales; legislation heads to Ritter's desk
By Roger Fillion, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Originally published 10:59 a.m., March 20, 2008
Updated 09:23 p.m., March 20, 2008
- Email this
- Print this
- Comments
- Change text size
- Subscribe to print edition
- iPod friendly
Colorado lawmakers sent Gov. Bill Ritter legislation that rewrites the state's decades-old "blue laws" and permits liquor stores to open Sundays.
The move came after the Senate approved the Sunday sales legislation 25-9. The House had already approved Senate Bill 82. It would take effect July 1.
Colorado has banned Sunday liquor sales since Prohibition ended in 1933. If Ritter signs the bill, Colorado would become the 35th state to allow Sunday booze sales.
Evan Dreyer, a spokesman for the governor, reiterated that Ritter would meet with both sides in the Sunday sales debate before deciding whether to sign the bill.
Ritter told the Mike Rosen Show last month that liquor store owners "understand" that the law banning Sunday sales "probably is a law that's outlived its existence."
Supporters also argue the bill would make it more convenient for shoppers.
Grocery and convenience store owners counter that it would slash their sales of low-strength 3.2 beer. They note that the lion's share of 3.2 percent alcohol sales occur on Sunday, when liquor stores are shut.
"We are very thankful to the governor that he wants to discuss this," said Grier Bailey, manager of government affairs for the Colorado Convenience Store Association.
"We're seriously concerned about the impact on the 3.2 market."
Roughly 1,700 convenience stores operate in Colorado.
Bailey's organization is seeking to get a bill offered in this legislative session that would permit grocery and convenience stores to sell full-strength beer.
The Colorado Senate killed a bill last month that would have allowed grocery and convenience stores to sell regular beer and wine. Liquor store owners objected, saying the bill would put them out of business.
Since 2002, 12 states have overhauled their laws to allow Sunday sales, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.
fillionr@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2467
Sunday booze bill
* What's new: Colorado law- makers sent the governor a bill to permit liquor stores to open Sundays.
* Governor's stance: Ritter hasn't staked out a public position. He plans to meet with both sides in the debate before making a decision.
* Taking sides: Liquor stores, wholesalers, craft brewers and others support Sunday sales. Grocery and convenience stores oppose the bill, saying it would sharply cut their sales of low-strength 3.2 percent beer.
* Timing: If the governor signs the bill, it will take effect July 1.
Comments
Posted by junglegymco on March 20, 2008 at 2:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sign it! Don't listen to special interests; do what is best for the rest of Colorado!
Posted by DougH on March 20, 2008 at 3:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You gotta love the grocery stores complaining that they will loose the Sunday 3.2 beer business. The only reason they even had this business was because of the ban on Liquor stores being open Sundays. Can't we ever just do something for the general benefit of the population without some special interest bitching and crying ?
Posted by Chadley25 on March 20, 2008 at 4:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe this will help end the production of 3.2 beer altogether. What a waste. It's like refining gasoline into three different grades -- just unnecessary.
Posted by RickyLee on March 20, 2008 at 4:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have no sympathy for the big grocery store chains on this one.
After all, how much of their bottom line comes from sales of 3.2 beer? I'd wager not much.
Posted by Dynamicdave on March 20, 2008 at 8:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am sooooo glad I live in Las Vegas, the city that never sleeps. Alcohol is never an issue. Even the bars have carry out, packaged liquor. I lived in Colorado for 25 years and the only place we could get liquor on a Sunday was Fort Carson. No "last call for alcohol", here. I would never move back to that "prohibition" type state. Bass ackwards is what I call it. If you mention 3.2 beer, around here, locals will look at you with a confused look on their faces. 3.2? What the hell is 3.2?
Posted by windbourne on March 21, 2008 at 3:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Actually, I am surprised that they did not compromise and give the grocery stores the ability to sell 6.0 beer. That would be useful. But I am not wild about seeing Walmart and even king soopers take all the money out of the state. Both are selling far too much junk. I kept looking in the easter aisle at KS today thinking that a really good idea for a product is a CHEAP and EASY lead detector. None of our products should contain lead. But I suspect that if we had some simple test for presence of lead, that a number of parents would test products esp. those coming from China. What do you bet that Walmart and King Soopers would re-think all the china crap that they sell once that comes out.
As to Dynamic Dave, yes, we have last call for ethanol. Of course, I hear last call for water in vegas. Since you rate alcohol that highly, enjoy your time in vegas. It is a fun town.
Posted by zaphod777 on March 22, 2008 at 1:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i believe that liquor sales on sunday is possibly one of the best things that could happen to our state right now. there are too many people in colorado who would rather go to a bar on sunday than buy 3.2 at any grocery or convenience store. that greatly increases the volume of drunk drivers coming home from the bar every sunday! the grocery stores and convenience stores really don't make that much money on the sale of 3.2 anyway. sign the bill, Bill... i think you'll really see a dramatic reduction in dui's on sundays because people can drink at home instead of driving home from the bars drunk!!!!
Post your comment (Requires free registration.)
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.