Tag Archives: Liquor store

Minnesota has always been a bit old-fashioned when it comes to some things. In many ways, it’s what gives us our charm. A new debate on a very old issue has popped up again challenging an old blue law that says liquor stores, etc., cannot sell alcohol on Sundays. Minnesota is one of 14 states that doesn’t allow it, and the reasons are a bit ridiculous to me.

The owner of Chicago Lake Liquors is in favor of selling on Sundays.

First off, there is no rational basis for any law that tries to enforce religious standards of how people should or should not spend a particular day of the week. If you are against the idea of buying beer, wine, or liquor on Sundays, then don’t buy beer, wine, or alcohol on Sundays.

I tend to favor free market competition, so I don’t care if the sale of booze on Sunday will cut into bar and restaurant profits. I think it’s up to a bar owner or liquor store to up their game or diversify somehow to fight that new competition. Also, telling a grocery store it can’t carry alcohol is like telling Walgreen’s they can’t carry paperback books.

Some arguments are even coming from the liquor store owners themselves, who say that allowing the sale of alcohol on Sunday will increase operating costs for them. My response to that is pretty simple: Stay closed. You can set your own operating hours.

So, where am I going wrong here? Tell me how selling alcohol on Sundays is really going to hurt Minnesota …