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Sunday alcohol sales bill passes Indiana House committee; furthest bill has ever gone

Posted at 11:02 AM, Jan 17, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-17 15:48:06-05

INDIANAPOLIS -- A bill that would allow alcohol sales on Sundays in Indiana has cleared another hurdle in Indiana. 

The Indiana House Public Policy Committee passed HB 1051 Wednesday morning in a 12-1 vote, meaning it will move on for full House consideration. 

This is the furthest a Sunday alcohol sales bill has ever come in the state. An identical one passed in the Senate committee last week. Both bills would allow stores to sell carryout alcoholic beverages between noon and 8 p.m. on Sundays. 

At a hearing to discuss the bill last week, Kroger spokesman Eric Halvorson spoke in favor of Sunday alcohol sales, pointing out to the committees that Sunday is the second busiest shopping day of the week. Lisa Hutcheson with the Indiana Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking argued against the bill, saying underage drinking costs the state $1.3 billion each year. 

Both the Senate and the House bills will move on to the full chamber for discussion and voting.

RELATED | It's not just us: Other states' odd liquor laws

Meantime, the bill to allow gas stations, grocery and convenience stores to sell cold beer failedWednesday in the Senate Public Policy Committee in a 9 -1 vote, effectively making the proposal dead this year.

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