Indiana Senate committee downs cold beer sales bill
UPDATE
The Senate Public Policy Committee on Wednesday voted against advancing State Sen. Phil Boots’ cold beer sales bill, Senate Bill 26.
The bill fails by a vote of 9-1. The vote comes after 2.5 hours of testimony for and against the bill.
Boots’s press secretary said measure is done for 2018. She was unclear whether the senator would reintroduce the bill again next year.
Indiana is the only state that regulates the temperature at which beer is sold. Grocery and convenience stores and pharmacies can sell cold wine and warm beer. But the sale of carryout cold beer is primarily limited to liquor stores, whose owners say expanded cold beer sales would force many out of business. Those supporting the change lampoon Indiana for being behind the times.
A House committee voted 12-1 earlier Wednesday to support lifting Indiana’s decades-old ban on Sunday carryout alcohol sales.
“It is time for Sunday sales. Today’s committee hearings were a significant step forward in the legislative process that we hope will end with Hoosiers being able to purchase alcohol for carryout on Sundays for the first time since prohibition without compromising on safety. We are eager to continue working directly with legislators and policy makers as these landmark pieces of legislation continue to move forward without delay.”
24-Hour News 8’s David Williams will have a report at 5 and 6 p.m. on WISH-TV and online at WISHTV.com.The Associated Press contributed to this report.PREVIOUS
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Both the House and Senate currently have bills that deal with both cold beer sales and Sunday alcohol sales.
A House committee met at 8:30 Wednesday morning to vote on a bill allowing Sunday sales of alcohol. The bill later passed in a 12-1 vote.
A similar bill passed a Senate committee last week.
Republican leaders in both chambers have expressed support for allowing sales of alcohol at stores on Sunday between noon and 8 p.m., beginning July 1.
Another issue is whether to allow grocery and convenience stores to sell cold beer. A Senate committee will debate that idea Wednesday afternoon, Senate Bill 26. It would expand the sale of cold beer beyond just liquor stores Currently, grocery and convenience stores can only sell warm beer.
Jay Ricker the chairman of Ricker’s, Inc. released the following statement about Wednesday’s hearings:
We would like the Legislature to amend SB26 to provide a level playing field for liquor stores and convenience stores to sell cold beer. To that end, we fully expect to pay an increased fee for the privilege of selling cold beer and for this fee to be designated by the Legislature to compensate ‘mom and pop’ liquor store owners who believe their licenses will be devalued.