If passed, Senate Bill 82 would allow liquor stores to open on Sundays.
Tuesday, the bill passed the Colorado House in a 43-21 vote. It returns to the Senate, and if passed there, will go to the governor for a signature. The Senate passed the bill Feb. 25 before it was sent to the House.
 Lani Bentley, owner of CB Liquors is opposed to Senate Bill 82, which would allow liquor stores to open on Sundays, claiming that it would open the door to allow grocery stores to sell full-strength beer and wine. (Barton Glasser / Daily Press) Advertisement |
While SB 82 was making its way through the Senate, Senate Bill 149, which would have allowed the sale of liquor in grocery stores, was killed.
Though grocery stores lost their fight, if SB 82 passes, liquor owners see grocery stores returning with a more solid argument — SB 82 robbed them of their Sunday beer sales.
If this happens and grocery stores win their next fight, then it’s only going to negatively affect liquor store sales.
“This is opening the doors to these laws that were in place currently protecting us,” said Jason Gordon, owner of The Liquor Store.
Besides opening doors, Gordon supports SB 82.
“I think there will be an increase in sales, but we’ll need to staff accordingly,” he said, adding that this would also increase employment opportunities in the community.
Another reason he supports SB 82 is that he sees Sunday as one of the community’s biggest shopping days. By not having the opportunity to buy liquor on those days, the law cuts into what could be a profitable market.
Bentley, however, said that as a smaller liquor store, this just means one more day of work.
“I’m not very happy (about the bill),” she said, adding that she “can’t say” whether she’d be open on Sundays.
Other smaller liquor store owners agree.
“We would like to have a day off once a week,” said Randy Hedrick, 12-year owner of Drive-In Liquors.
Hedrick said he doesn’t see it affecting sales. Rather, it will only raise business overhead.
Though he said he doesn’t care whether it passes or not, if it does pass, he’ll have no choice but to be open on Sundays so he doesn’t lose sales to competitors.
Contact Kati O’Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com
• Be respectful of others, the writer and the subjects in the story.
• Be relevant. Keep your comments on point.
• See the guidelines for TalkAbout. Perhaps your comment is best for that community forum, available from the home page, instead of commenting on a particular story.
Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. Montrose Press is not liable for messages from third parties.
DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in montrosepress.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the Montrose Press. Montrose Press does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized Montrose Press spokespersons.
Thank you for your comments!