Superior vs Duluth

...Perennial, Smuttynose, Anderson Valley, 3 Sheeps, Shelton Brothers, Coronado, 10-90, Kentucky,

 

it transcends parties for some reason. You would think Democrats would want the "freedom of choice" and that Republicans would want businesses to do business on any day without Government interference. But both sides have plenty of people who vote against it. It has to change and will eventually...just when....it makes too much sense....there are ZERO legit reasons to bar it. ZERO. Powerful liquor lobbies....Mr. Ball...former sheriff encouraging people to drive to bars and drink and drive home drunk rather than buy off sale and drink in their own homes without having to drive...I could go on...

 

I agree it is not partisan, so we should check the record rather than rely on surveys or party philosophy. Past behavior is a very good predictor of future behavior.

BTW, the legitimate argument I've heard against it is from the liquor store owners, and I think they are correct in their argument. It goes something like this: Legalizing Sunday sales will not materially increase their sales; people will mostly just spread their existing purchases over 7 days instead of 6. It will, however, increase their (the store owner's) costs since they will have to be open an additional day. If they choose to stay closed on Sunday, they will lose sales compared to their present level.

Add to this the large chain Total Wine moving into the Twin Cities and taking a chunk out of the market, 7-day sales may be a killer for smaller stores.

Note: I am merely stating the reason they give, and stating my view that it is a legitimate reason. I am not saying that is sufficient reason to continue to keep Sunday sales as illegal. However, it is not a bit deal for me. I may be disorganized, but I can generally plan 1 day ahead!

 

I've made it this far without Sunday sales, so it doesn't matter much to me.
Don't understand the big deal about it actually.

 

Overall it isn't a huge deal, but it is just one of many old laws that don't make much sense anymore. I believe we are one if the worst states for strict liquor laws. I would like to see them be chipped away and I think Sunday sales is one that will help the dominos fall.

While I will never be out of beer. I would like the option to go in Sunday to get something if the mood strikes or I feel like something specific I don't have at home. I am fine with leaving only liquor stores able to sell the full range of booze if that helps Sunday sales go through.

I would also like to see bars able to fill growlers, out of state breweries to self distribute/allow breweries that dont distribute here to be able to come to our beer fests. Those are the top ones for me, but there are plenty more.

 

I know this isn't your argument but I will rebut it anyhow. Yes, I can plan a day ahead as well. But, why is the state telling some businesses when they can be open and when they cannot not. Should all grocery stores not sell meat on Sundays so the small butcher shops can compete better? Or maybe no bakery items should be for sale anywhere in the state since the small bakery's are struggling to compete with Cub, etc. I could go on. Businesses should have the right to be open on every day of the week.

 

Bars filling growlers would be great as would liquor stores like Wisconsin.

 

I agree with the principle. I was just stating their argument, and from their perspective, changing the law is a money loser, so they oppose it. But, be careful with the libertarian argument on business regulation!

 

When I drive down to visit family in the Twin Cities for the weekend, I often don't have any available time to hit a liquor store until Sunday before we drive home. As a result, I either don't buy anything or I make a trip to Hudson. Either way MN lost out on sales. Anyone from out of state visiting MN for the weekend has their time for shopping at liquor stores reduced by 50% without Sunday sales. When I visit Madison, we always loadup on beer on Sunday morning as we leave.

 

I suppose if you know that you can't buy on Sunday in MN, you could either make time (open until 10 pm everywhere on Friday/Saturday), or have family here shop for you ahead.

I just can't believe the MN is losing much from out of staters that like to buy beer on Sundays...but I could be wrong.

 

It's about choice. Government regulations can play an important role in safety, but not here.

 

Is that Libertarian? Never knew that. I just thought it makes common sense to let people who run businesses be open seven days a week regardless of the "type" of business you are in....as long as you are selling legal products of course.

 

I'm in the cities or coming through the Metro often on Sundays and I can't count the amount of times I wish I could have stopped to buy some beer down there that I can't purchase in my neck of the woods....but of course I can't...we aren't like 80% of the other states out there.

Also...I suppose I could call my great uncle and give him a list of beers I want and have him drive 25 miles and purchase them for me as you suggest and then meet him behind Grumpy's or something on the way through town to pick it up. Yeah that makes more sense than just opening stores on Sundays like just about every other state.

Speaking of my great uncle...the state apparently thinks it is ok for bars to be open and for him to go get loaded up and drive home rather than allow my great uncle to pick up his suitcases of Blatz and pound them in the comfort of his home....yeah that makes sense..

Like I said...there are no legit arguments for not having open Sunday sales

 

I was using the term "libertarian" (lower case "l"... not the party) to mean the philosophy favoring laissez-faire capitalism and strong private property rights. Virtually none of the alcohol regulations and laws have anything at all to do with safety (drunk driving laws and the like excepted).

There are a whole list of laws regulating taprooms, brewpubs, breweries, distribution, retail outlets, beer events, etc. that regulate who, what, how, and when that have nothing to do with anything other than regulating who can sell what to whom when and where.

For example, that separate thread about the Toppling Goliath v Surly event in Iowa City. A Surly v Toppling Goliath event would be illegal in MN. Why? TG is an out of state brewery who does not distribute here. Silly reason if you ask me.

We've gone far afield of the OP topic, though, so it would be best probably to take this to a thread of its own.

 

Indeed! And now that the can of worms has been successfully opened...

I no longer "have a dog in the fight", as I'm no longer at retail, and I usually have a small stockpile of booze for when the Big Red Button gets pushed. On the other hand I do feel for those who are negatively affected by the byproduct of Minnesota's laws concerning certain "vice" products being sold on particular days of the week.

Unfortunately I don't see very much changing, at least not for another ten years (and that's with constant pushback from the public and whatever lobby is associated with changing the pertinent laws.)

To tie this back in with the original post (at least somewhat), the Twin Ports are as tight -in terms of economy impact- as the Twin Cities, so the benefit to the local economy in Superior is absolutely enhanced by Sunday traffic from "beercationers" visiting Duluth -- consider that before spending all of your money in Duluth.

And besides: Dogfish Head! New Glarus!!!

 

Yes I can make time and I have when I really want something but I don't always know what I want until I see it in the store, which is why having family buy for me doesn't work (and check the topic about having other people picking up beer for you to see the problems with that)

For MN to be a true beer destination, you can't cut the time visitors can shop for beer in half when they visit for a weekend. People go out on Saturday night and find a great beer but they can't buy any to bring home on their way out of town. Maybe it is just me (and Zap) but it happens often enough and has been a real inconvenience and I would think there are probably others experiencing the same thing.

Even up here in Fargo, we have gone across the river to Moorhead on a Sunday to have a nice pint of Surly and other great beers at Atomic Coffee and would have gone next door to Bridgeview to buy something but nope, closed so instead we stop off at a store in ND on the way home instead. ND having more progressive liquor laws is weird. Up to 1991 ND had Blue Laws they kept pretty much everything other than grocery stores closed on Sunday.

 

Good points @StarRanger and @ZAP.
I guess it wouldn't affect me, and I've always been able to work around it.

Hope you guys get it passed then.

 

Another thread that veered far off topic.

A couple breweries on the MN worth seeking out is Castle Danger and Borealis.