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Arkansas says 'yes' to Sunday sales

Published:  09 March, 2009

Arkansas has become the 36th US state to repeal a so-called Blue Law which bans take-home liquor sales on Sundays.

Arkansas has become the 36th US state to repeal a so-called Blue Law which bans take-home liquor sales on Sundays.

Local communities will now be able to vote on whether to allow stores in their area the right to Sunday sales.

Permitted Sunday on-trade sales hours are being extended by four hours, to run from 10am to 12 midnight.

Dale Szyndrowski, vice president of the Distilled Spirits Council, said: "The ban on Sunday sales outlived its relevance long ago.

"Everything we know about modern consumer demand tells us that Blue Laws no longer make sense in today's economy."

Moves to reinstate liquor sales on Sundays have been gathering pace in the current decade. Arkansas is the 14th state to repeal its Blue Law since 2002.

But there are 14 other states with such laws - which date back to the Prohibition era - still in place.

Alabama, Connecticut, Indiana, Minnesota and Texas all have repeal legislation pending.

The senator sponsoring a repeal bill in Georgia has dropped it for lack of support among fellow legislators, accusing them of having an "Old Testament mentality".

Blue Laws also remain in place in Mississippi, Montana, North and South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and West Virginia.

Diageo welcomed the Arkansas move. Barry Becton, senior director of state government relations for Diageo North America, said: "Sunday sales will not only be more convenient for shoppers, they will also help increase revenue for the state during the down economy."

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