ST. PAUL – On a bipartisan vote of 85 to 45, the Minnesota House of Representatives has approved legislation that would allow you to buy off-sale liquor on Sundays. State Representative Tony Cornish (R-Vernon Center) voted in favor of the measure.
“When I visit with people in bars, Legions, or VFW’s, the customers almost unanimously approve of it,” Cornish said. “This was an easy ‘yes’ vote for me.”
The bill would allow retailers to sell alcohol between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM on Sundays, effective July 1, 2017, but it would prohibit the delivery or acceptance of alcohol to an off-sale retailer on Sundays.
Off-sale liquor sales are currently permitted between 8:00 AM and 10:00 PM Monday through Saturday. This bill does not require liquor stores to operate on Sundays, but removes the legal prohibition against doing so.
Minnesota is currently one of 12 states with a prohibition on the sale of intoxicating beverages on Sundays, none of which border Minnesota.
“It’s time to finally admit that the overregulation by the government isn’t really working in that area,” Cornish said. “Let people do what they want when it comes to buying alcohol on a certain day of the week.”
The Sunday sales bill now heads to the Minnesota Senate for further debate.