Alting: Legislators Might Revisit Sunday Sales Hours
The author of the bill that clears the way for Hoosiers to purchase carryout alcohol this and every Sunday says timing and approach made the difference this time around in the General Assembly. Senate Public Policy Committee Chair Ron Alting (R-22) says he began working with key stakeholders after last year’s session to ensure an agreement on how to proceed was in place before discussion began in the current General Assembly. "One of the reasons why it’s never been passed before, is because it’s been sold that it’s an economic development tool. That’s not true. Other states that have implemented Sunday sales, they sell the same amount of alcohol in seven (days) as they did six (days)," he said. "However, we sold this bill that it is consumer-friendly."
He added Sunday is the biggest shopping day for Hoosiers, so the option to buy while already in the store was an important factor. Alting told Inside INdiana Business Multimedia Journalist Mary-Rachel Redman the state might reconsider a key restriction in the new law. "I think we’ll probably revisit the hours," he said, referring to the noon-8 p.m. window provided by the law. "Why? because I think we have certain counties out of 92 that are famous for boating, perhaps, and 12-noon might be too late to load up the boat from the grocery store with their favorite beverage and go out on the lake for the day."
Alting added the counties located near Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky and Ohio might see some benefit from the revised law, as Hoosiers buy beer, wine and liquor locally instead of across the border on Sundays. Indiana’s ban on Sunday carryout sales dated back to the early laws set up in the state more than 200 years ago.