Sunday, January 19, 2014

Legislation ready to lift Sunday liquor sales ban

MINNEAPOLIS - No one remembers a time when Saturday wasn't stock up day for alcohol in the state of Minnesota.

And seemingly as old as that tradition is the one where a lawmaker introduces legislation to lift the Sunday sales ban.

This session, House Republican Jenifer Loon is that lawmaker. This week, Loon authored a bill that would lift the restriction and allow municipalities to decide if stores in their cities could sell.

We found a tale of two stores in two cities.

"When we look at the numbers and when we look at the people we think would come in Coupon Codes Sunday, we would like the choice to be open and prove we could do more business on a Sunday," Daniel Mays, Co-Owner of Stinson Wine-Beer-Spirits said Saturday night.

Mays is more than ready to spread sales out to seven days over six. He says his customers want it. He says his staff is ready to work it.

"We don't feel like it would hinder our business. We feel like it would help our business," Mays said.

Take a trip to the next shop to find the second tale.

"Where we sit as our business, I think we would be running a shop that would be a ghost town," Solo Vino Wine Shop employee Sean La Bonty said.

Solo Vino is in the Selby-Dale Neighborhood of St. Paul and it is a six-day operation that will remain a six-day operation no matter the ruling on Sunday sales.

The reason why is just the opposite of the first tale.

La Bonty and his staff doesn't see a seven-day sales schedule, outpacing a six.

Simply stated they think they would sell the same volume either way, with just an added burden.

"You are also paying for the place to be open, paying for staff, I don't see there is going to be that much of a revenue stream that is going to be made that warrants us saying, 'OK, stay open Sunday as well,'" La Bonty said.

In years past, bills like this have been clobbered on the floor. Last year, the House voted down a similar bill 106-21.

So we shall see come next month when lawmakers return to St. Paul if this one even has a real chance.

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