State Senate panel freezes cold beer expansion effort by 9-1 vote

A senate committee voted 9-1 to reject Senate Bill 26 that would have allowed groceries, drug stores and convenience stores to sell beer at any temperature.

Indiana is the only state that regulates the sale of beer by temperature. Cold beer is only allowed to be sold in package liquor stores.

The Sunday sales bills were developed from recommendations by an interim Alcohol Code Revision Commission. The bills, both now passing from their Senate or House committees, would allow sales from noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays.

Last year the commission did not have enough members present for a vote to express support for expanding cold beer sales.

On Wednesday, though, the Senate Public Policy Committee heard Senate Bill 26 from Sen. Phil Boots, R-Crawfordsville, that would allow the expansion of cold beer sales. The bill was not expected to be passed out of the Indiana General Assembly.

However, House Public Policy Chair Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, who serves on the code revision commission, decided to hear the cold beer legislation, Senate Bill 26, during a three-hour session. He said he wanted to open dialogue about a singular issue that had not been debated in the Senate.

In opposition to the bill, Jay Singh, the operator of a number of package liquor stores and convenience stores in southern Indiana, said he would have to refit his stores if the state approves cold beer sales in part to update security measures to prevent shoplifting particularly among minors.

“Should the state allow cold beer to be sold in convenience stores and gas stations, we would be forced to carry to be competitive,” Singh said.

“In our stores in southern Indiana, we have warm beer. We only have those licenses because we’re trying to stay competitive with Speedway, the Ricker’s, everybody else. Without those licenses, we couldn’t be competitive,” he said.

Kokomo Police Capt. Kevin Summers also spoke against expanding cold beer sales calling it "misguided."

"Multiple studies have proven that the single greatest predictor of violent crimes in neighborhoods is the alcohol outlet density," Summers said.

Limiting the hours that alcohol could be sold on Sundays has as much to do with the Hoosiers who support the plan as it does with those who don’t, according to the state representative who authored one of the bills extending hours.

In June, the Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association released results of a poll of 600 Hoosiers showing that 65 percent favored allowing of Sunday carryout sales of alcohol; 70 percent said they supported the expansion of cold beer sales.

“That means about 1.9 million people don't want Sunday sales. That's twice the population of our capital city. I think it's important to be sensitive to that, represent those folks and limit the hours of Sunday sales,” said Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn, author of House Bill 1051.

The bill passed 12-1 out of the House Public Policy Committee on Wednesday. Similar legislation, Senate Bill 1, has also passed out of its Senate committee.