Sunday alcohol sales will have to wait

CENTRAL INDIANA (WISH) - A group pushing for Sunday alcohol sales at liquor, grocery and convenience stores will have to wait at least another year. Indiana legislators say they will not consider the issue during this legislative session.

"It's perfectly legal at other times, I just don't see the reason for it, there's no real good reason," Coleman Griffen said.

Griffen was born and raised in Indianapolis. He believes not selling liquor on Sundays, except at bars, is a bad idea especially during hard economic times.

"It doesn't make sense in light of the fact, businesses having a downturn, the economy is going to be boosted by anything like this, increased sales," Griffen said.

Indiana is one of 15 states that prohibits Sunday carry-out sales of alcohol. A group called Hoosiers for Beverage Choices started a on-line campaign this summer, trying to drum up support to change the law. The group collected more than 10,000 signatures.

They also would like to allow the sale of cold beer at places like drug stores.
One gentleman said he believes a compromise could be made that would allow Sunday sales, and still make most people happy.

"On Sundays you have to wait until after 1 p.m. to sell alcohol, it's a state run liquor store, and you can buy beer and wine at the grocery, and it seemed to appeal to everybody," Craig Harris said.

Harris was talking about the law in North Carolina where he used to live. He said limiting the time people can buy seems to appease most.

"It's the same as most blue laws. There is a morality side of it that they try to appeal to, but when it comes down to common sense, you're costing yourself to appeal to somebody's values, and there should be a compromise," Harris said.

But it looks like a compromise won't happen until at least 2010.

Inside Indiana Business found that 70 percent of surveyed Hoosiers want the choice to buy cold beer, and 58 percent want the opportunity to buy carry-out liquor on Sundays.