Public To Sound Off On Sunday Booze Sales

INDIANAPOLIS -- A bipartisan legislative committee will meet this week to take up the contentious issue of Sunday alcohol sales in Indiana.

Large retailers and their supporters have renewed a push to get the ban lifted, but liquor stores and some religious groups are steadfast in their support of continuing the ban, 6News' Sarah Cornell reported.

Sunday is the second-busiest shopping day of the week at an Indianapolis Kroger store, but booze was, as always, off-limits to Colts fans who wanted to down a few brews at home or while tailgating.

"Here we are on Sunday afternoon, waiting for the first home season game for the Colts, and customers coming to the store today cannot buy beer or wine or alcohol, if that is part of their plans for today," said John Elliott, of the Alliance for Responsible Alcohol Retailers and a Kroger spokesman.

Elliott is among those who will ask the Legislature to support Sunday alcohol sales during next year's session.

"The reality is, in this 21st century economy, people are shopping on Sunday," Elliott said. "They are not going to make a second trip."

Public support appears to be building for lifting the ban on Sunday alcohol sales, something most shoppers 6News talked to see as an archaic regulation.

"I think it's kind of ironic that you can actually go out to a restaurant or a Colts game or something and buy alcohol," said shopper Jim Simmons. "You come into a store and can't do it."

"I don't see any object in it," said shopper Donna Arthur. "If people want booze, they are going to buy it when the store is open."

Liquor store owners like being able to close on Sunday. They are concerned that being open would spread six days of sales into seven days, hurting their profit margin.

They also argue that an added day of sales could increase the number of alcohol-related deaths.

The public can voice an opinion at the Statehouse meeting on Tuesday. It starts at 1 p.m. in room 404.

The committee will report its findings to fellow lawmakers in January, when the General Assembly reconvenes.