EDITORIAL: Indiana's Sunday liquor saga

Our state is now the only one that does not allow any type of carryout sales on Sunday. Lawmakers, in what feels like a never-ending battle, are again attempting to remove this unneeded regulation. But for the first time ever, lawmakers voted to consider a bill in this session.

A closer look at House Bill 1624, however, finds it somewhat wanting. House Public Policy Chairman Tom Dermody, R-LaPorte, has amended the legislation to place restrictions on retailers, other than package liquor stores, that would require beer and wine to be located in a single aisle or separate room.

This will of course add millions of dollars in costs for many of those competition with liquor stores to sell alcohol. Those costs, for those retailers, will need to be passed long, as always, to consumers.

The liquor store lobby has successfully stymied Sunday carry out for decades, not wanting to face full-fledged competition from supermarkets and convenience stores. While the new legislation might be an advance on the issue, we still find that many in our General Assembly think it's ok to pick winners, and thereby pick losers, in what should be a decision made by citizenry who want to buy the beverages on Sunday.

Indiana's liquor sales laws are already way more convoluted than simply the prohibition on over-the-counter sales on Sundays. The laws offer a mixed bag on Sundays: Ok for bars and restaurants, not ok for retail stores, fine for brewers selling a limited amount of carryout. On the other days, it's the same: No cold beer sales other than at package liquor stores, and restricted sales at liquor stores on all but a handful of items. It goes on.

It's time for Indiana to join the rest of the nation when it comes to adopting sensible Sunday sales laws. We don't think enough lawmakers share this opinion -- yet.