Sunday Liquor Laws

[Guest SerenityNow]

So, I'm shopping yesterday morning about 9am, the "big" shop. One of my meals requires white wine, so I pick some up. Big mistake, I forgot about the liqour laws and was not allowed to by my wine. I don't know elsewhere but you can't buy it until after 2pm on Sunday, on the Florida panhandle.

 

I find it very irritating. That's my rant.

[simonpeter]

So, I'm shopping yesterday morning about 9am, the "big" shop.  One of my meals requires white wine, so I pick some up.  Big mistake, I forgot about the liqour laws and was not allowed to by my wine.  I don't know elsewhere but you can't buy it until after 2pm on Sunday, on the Florida panhandle.

 

I find it very irritating.  That's my rant.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Ah yes, the famous "Blue Laws." I lived in Texas (1985?) and they had the same laws. Hardware stores were divided in half with one half closed because the items for sale fell under these rediculous laws. For example, you could buy nails but not a hammer.

 

These restrictions were very unbiblical and yet imposed by controlling Christians, in their attempt to "keep the Sabbath Holy." I think I can use the word "most" here: Most Christians understand the meaning of God resting on the 7th day. It was a recommendation by God to stop and smell the roses -- all work and no play ... -- and not a day filled with prohibitions. Jesus aptly addressed this and overturned the rules of the Sabbath.

[Mythra]

That's funny, thankful. I didn't know that bible belt states were still that restrictive. You still have a ways to go to catch up to Utah, though.

 

Just let the fundies take back over our country. We'll go back to prohibition.

 

I like states where adults are treated like adults. Hell, in Nevada you can buy a bottle of Jack Daniels at the supermarket on Sunday morning.

[☆ TexasFreethinker ☆]

Ah yes, the famous "Blue Laws." I lived in Texas (1985?) and they had the same laws. Hardware stores were divided in half with one half closed because the items for sale fell under these rediculous laws. For example, you could buy nails but not a hammer.

The "blue" laws were overturned in the late 1980s in Texas. (Even christianity can't stand in the way of consumerism and corporate profits!)

 

However, we still have some strange liquor laws. You can't buy hard liquor at the liquor store on Sunday, but you can have drinks made of hard liquor in restaurants beginning at 10am on Sunday (or in a bar beginning at noon on Sunday).

 

Bars in counties with a population of greater than 500,000 can serve liquor until 2am. Smaller counties have to stop serving at 1am.

 

You can buy beer or wine in a grocery store beginning at 7am each day (except you have to wait until noon on Sunday.)

 

They've just made it possible for Texans to purchase wine thru mail order, although I think that prohibition was more about protecting our local wine makers rather than anything religious.

 

I think you're also prohibitied from selling liquor of any type within a few hundred yards of a school, church or polling place.

 

Too confusing!

[Guest freeman]

I was born, raised and lived in New Orleans until I was 29. You can buy beer and alcohol 24/7 at any store in southern Louisiana. However, in northern Louisiana, you have the same bullshit laws of only after 12pm and not after 2am. ect.

I now live in Texas and it did take some getting used to not having it when I want it!

[☆ TexasFreethinker ☆]

I was born, raised and lived in New Orleans until I was 29.  You can buy beer and alcohol 24/7 at any store in southern Louisiana.  However, in northern Louisiana, you have the same bullshit laws of only after 12pm and not after 2am. ect.

I now live in Texas and it did take some getting used to not having it when I want it!

Welcome Freeman!

[Guest Slinky]

I just moved to Pennsylvania. They recently started selling booze on Sunday (state-run stores, btw). Also, to my surprise, they stay open on election days

 

Not as great as NH, though. They have a store on the NH/MA border that I think is open 24/7. On the highway no less. I used to make Sunday runs when I lived in MA.

[Fweethawt]

I say, you go out and buy all of your booze Saturday evening. Then, once Sunday morning rolls around, start hittin' the hooch 'til your drunk off your ass, then go out and raise some hell.

[RedPillAddict]

So, I'm shopping yesterday morning about 9am, the "big" shop.  One of my meals requires white wine, so I pick some up.  Big mistake, I forgot about the liqour laws and was not allowed to by my wine.  I don't know elsewhere but you can't buy it until after 2pm on Sunday, on the Florida panhandle.

 

I find it very irritating.  That's my rant.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I used to complain about that when I lived in Fl. Now I live in MN...You cant buy alcohol AT ALL on Sunday or after 8pm during the week!

[spamandham]

I've been annoyed by the silly Sunday sales law a couple of times as well. So sue me if I prefer to shop Sunday morning instead of Saturday - theocratic totalitarianism at its finest.

[Guest Slinky]

I say, you go out and buy all of your booze Saturday evening. Then, once Sunday morning rolls around, start hittin' the hooch 'til your drunk off your ass, then go out and raise some hell. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Ya, but then you have to contend with another Saturday.

[Sokudo Ningyou]

In my county in WI, we can only sell alcohol until 9 p.m, no matter what the day, though bars stay open until 2 a.m. and you can get carry out until 12. But that's just my county; some sell until 12, others 9....and we have so many people bitching when they're out-of-state, it's classic.

[Loren]

Just let the fundies take back over our country.  We'll go back to prohibition.

We are still under prohibition.

 

Each year, the FBI's division of Uniform Crime Reports releases arrest statistics for the previous year in the annual volume Crime in the Unites States. The 1997 data, released on November 22, 1998, revealed that state and local authorities made 695,201 marijuana arrests in 1997.

 

Of these arrests, 87.2% (606,519) were for "possession." Only 12.8% (88,682 arrests) were for "sale/manufacture," which includes all cultivation offenses (even for personal use) and often includes possession of an amount large enough -- usually more than an ounce -- that "intent to deliver" is inferred (even though it may have actually been intended for personal use). This 80/20 ratio has remained fairly constant for more than a decade.

 

In 1997, there were more marijuana arrests in the United States than in any other year in history. In previous years, this annual number of marijuana arrests had peaked in 1981, dipped down during the 1980's, and has been increasing steadily every year since 1994.

 

The number of marijuana arrests by state and local authorities in the United States since 1965 now totals more than 11 million.

 

(From Marijuana Policy Project)

[spamandham]

We are still under prohibition.

 

Doh!

 

Excellent catch!

[Lizard]

I was born, raised and lived in New Orleans until I was 29.  You can buy beer and alcohol 24/7 at any store in southern Louisiana.  However, in northern Louisiana, you have the same bullshit laws of only after 12pm and not after 2am. ect.

I now live in Texas and it did take some getting used to not having it when I want it!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Welcome to the land of freaky laws..

 

I remember as a kid, going to the grocery with my parents and things like tennis shoes were roped off..

 

The car dealers have to close one day a week still too..at least, here in San Antonio..

 

And how about the "dry" counties..where ya can't buy alcohol at all?

[Guest Slinky]

I remember my dad telling about the first time he went to atlanta. He went into what he thought was a bar and ordered a scotch and soda. He took a sip and commented that it seemed pretty weak. Turns out it was a club where they sell setups and members store a byob bottle at the bar. He was furious that he had to pay for a setup at the same price as a regular drink.

[Caretaker]

You should come to Washington... We just started permitting Sunday sales on Liquor.

 

Would you care for a wee nip of scotch whiskey?

[Lilith]

So, I'm shopping yesterday morning about 9am, the "big" shop.  One of my meals requires white wine, so I pick some up.  Big mistake, I forgot about the liqour laws and was not allowed to by my wine.  I don't know elsewhere but you can't buy it until after 2pm on Sunday, on the Florida panhandle.

 

I find it very irritating.  That's my rant.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I ranted about this soon after arriving in Texas.

 

My Blog

[godlessgrrl]

Hiya Khan! I'm in Washington too, in Silverdale. A toast to our liquor laws...

 

The weirdest thing I remember about visits to Texas were the drive-through liquor stores and the wet vs. dry counties. Weird.

[trashy]

I've lived in Texas my whole life and even when I was a Christian I thought blue laws were stupid. As if banning all work and alcohol sales on Sunday was going to cause all those poor sinners to wake up and think "Hmmm.....what will I do today? I can't work, I can't drink. Aw hell, might as well go to church!"

 

Dry counties make about as much sense too, at least since the invention of the automobile. And yet this last election saw a slew of counties and cities allowing liquor and wine sales in stores for the first time ever. Go figure.

[☆ TexasFreethinker ☆]

I've lived in Texas my whole life and even when I was a Christian I thought blue laws were stupid.  As if banning all work and alcohol sales on Sunday was going to cause all those poor sinners to wake up and think "Hmmm.....what will I do today?  I can't work, I can't drink.  Aw hell, might as well go to church!"

 

Dry counties make about as much sense too, at least since the invention of the automobile.  And yet this last election saw a slew of counties and cities allowing liquor and wine sales in stores for the first time ever.  Go figure.

Welcome Trashy - where are you in Texas?

[Caretaker]

Hiya Khan! I'm in Washington too, in Silverdale. A toast to our liquor laws... 

 

The weirdest thing I remember about visits to Texas were the drive-through liquor stores and the wet vs. dry counties. Weird.

Cool! I thought there had to be more Washingtonians here.

 

I have been wanting to get a Northwest meeting somewhere for us Washingon, Oregon, and BC members... Perhaps at Mount Rainier.

[aspirin99]

Here in Minnesota, the liquor stores are closed all day on Sunday. Restaurants can server booze as long as people are eating (their sales must be a certain percentage in food or they get in trouble).

 

I just sent the following email to the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association:

 

"Surely I'm not the only one who feels that prohibiting liquor stores from operating on the Christian Sabbath (Sunday) is a law that is not fair to the diverse population Minnesota now has. What do we need to do to get this law repealed?"

 

I've ranted about this before on this website (before my post count was reset). We'll see what they say.

[Amethyst]

"Surely I'm not the only one who feels that prohibiting liquor stores from operating on the Christian Sabbath (Sunday) is a law that is not fair to the diverse population Minnesota now has. What do we need to do to get this law repealed?"

 

Start a letter-writing campaign to the MN Congress and encourage others to do the same. I am from MN too, so I'd join in.

[aspirin99]

Thanks, Amethyst. I'm guessing I'm not the first to work on this. I'm going to look around and see what's been done. I'd think that a petition seeking enough signatures to get it on the ballot may have been tried at some time.