DENVER—Colorado liquor stores will be able to stay open on Sundays starting in July under a bill signed by Gov. Bill Ritter on Monday, reversing a law dating from the repeal of Prohibition.
Ritter said times have changed since the 1933 law was passed to protect the Christian sabbath and said there seemed to be “great public sentiment” in favor of changing the law.
“It was a tremendous benefit to consumers and saves a great deal of time for people who only have Sunday to shop,” Ritter said after signing the bill in the Capitol’s West Foyer.
Colorado is the 35th state to permit Sunday alcohol sales at retail stores. It’s the 13th state to have passed such a law since 2002 according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, the liquor trade group that has lobbied for such laws across the country.
The group lost an attempt to repeal the Colorado blue law three years ago in the face of opposition from liquor stores. Starting last year the owners of large liquor stores worked to assemble a coalition with smaller stores to push for Sunday sales after hearing supermarkets were interested in selling full-strength beer and wine. A Senate committee killed that proposal in February after liquor store owners said it would hurt Colorado’s system of independent liquor stores as well as the craft brewers that the stores have helped promote.
Supermarkets and convenience stores are now pushing for legislation to allow them to sell full-strength beer, arguing that it’s not fair to keep them under the old system that limits them to selling only 3.2 percent beer. Mark Larson of the Petroleum Marketers Association said the new law will cost supermarkets and convenience stores $65 million in annual 3.2 beer sales based on Department of Revenue figures.
With only about three weeks left in the legislative session, backers would need permission from leaders in the House and Senate to introduce such a bill. Larson’s group—which represents convenience stores, including those at gas stations—is also considering introducing a ballot measure to change the law but only have until April 25 to submit one.
Once the Sunday sales law takes effect, Scott Robinson of Wilbur’s Total Beverage in Fort Collins said he thinks many stores would start out with limited Sunday hours, perhaps from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., since people get up later on Sunday and don’t drink much on Sunday night. Still, he said he expected Sunday to become the third busiest day for alcohol sales after Saturday and Friday.
Robinson acknowledged that the owner of smaller stores could face a more difficult time since they don’t usually have many employees and, if they do, the cost of paying them could take a bigger chunk out of the profit they see by staying open on Sunday. He said it’s possible those stores might choose to close on a slower day, like Monday, or open later on Sunday after bigger liquor stores close.
Robinson said the Sunday sales bill helps consumers but he doesn’t think they’ll be clamoring to buy beer or wine.
“I think this will answer the consumer issue,” he said.
Ritter said he considered how the bill would effect supermarkets but said they have benefited from other laws passed at the Capitol. He pointed to a bill that passed last year allowing them to sell discounted gas to their customers, a move that was opposed by independent gas stations who feared it would hurt their business.
The bill was sponsored by Sen. Jennifer Veiga, D-Denver, and state Rep. Cheri Jahn, D-Wheat Ridge.
