Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

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talindsay
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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby talindsay » February 21st, 2017, 8:32 am

I sent this letter to Sen. Torres Ray today:
Dear Senator Torres Ray:

I'm writing to ask you to vote with your constituents' interests, and to vote to end the Sunday liquor sales ban.

I know that in the past you have voted to uphold the ban, voting against a change to Minnesota's status quo. I know you've done that out of a claim to be helping small businesses, who will be put under greater economic pressure by seven days of sales. I appreciate that concern, but it's legally wrong; and the continued presence of a ban on Sunday sales is an embarrassing undemocratic throwback to Minnesota's protestant-Christian past.

The state of Minnesota has no legitimate governmental interest in preventing liquor stores from operating seven days per week. If protecting small businesses from competition were recognized to be in the government's interest, then such a ban wouldn't just apply to liquor stores. After all, if such protection were important to independent liquor stores, why would it not be important to other small businesses, such as grocery stores, shoe stores, or hardware stores; or even to restaurants, gas stations, or convenience stores? The truth is that in all the other cases, we have recognized that the public's interest in being able to carry on commerce every day of the week is more important than the small business's desire to be protected from larger competition.

The real root of the Sunday sales ban has nothing to do with protecting small business. It's a blue law, rooted in Minnesota's religious past when all Minnesotans were forced by law to be good protestant Christians and abstain from work or "sin" on Sundays. While blue laws have fallen completely by the wayside in other states, Minnesotans can't shake the idea that alcohol is bad, and that the Sabbath should be kept. This is in clear violation of the establishment clause of the US Constitution, and is an outdated intermingling of church and state. The government has no legitimate interest in enforcing religious mores of prohibitionist Protestantism.

Polls of Minnesota have consistently shown that the public favors repeal of this embarrassing, outdated blue law. DFL politicians' misguided desire to protect a small but powerful lobby of small businesses has clouded their vision on this issue and caused many to vote against their constituents' will and against the interests of good governance. While protecting small business against competition may seem an admirable goal, it's not the government's job to pick a few winners, and to protect one special class of business owners while not extending the same protection to all.

Please vote to repeal the Sunday liquor sales ban when it comes to the Senate floor.

Thank you,
Thomas Lindsay

LakeCharles
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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby LakeCharles » February 21st, 2017, 9:23 am

Man, you guys are way more attached to this issue than I think most people are. You can now finally support Erin Murphy after she allowed you to get booze on Sunday? Really? And you really think that the GOP would pick up a full 3 percent of voters based on this one issue? Granted, I'm probably way more off base than you guys, but this all seems far-fetched.

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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby mattaudio » February 21st, 2017, 10:12 am

Wagenius voted against Sunday Sales. I hope she, and Torres Ray if the senator upholds her position, face primary challengers.

MNdible
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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby MNdible » February 21st, 2017, 10:20 am

Man, you guys are way more attached to this issue than I think most people are. You can now finally support Erin Murphy after she allowed you to get booze on Sunday? Really? And you really think that the GOP would pick up a full 3 percent of voters based on this one issue? Granted, I'm probably way more off base than you guys, but this all seems far-fetched.
I'd tend to agree that this alone isn't really that big of an issue, but it probably plays well into a narrative that Daudt can spin that pegs the DFL as being beholden to a bunch of fringe groups and not particularly responsive to what "REAL MINNESOTANS" want.

acs
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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby acs » February 21st, 2017, 10:32 am

And by "REAL MINNESOTANS" he means approximately 83% of Minnesotans.

http://www.startribune.com/poll-should- ... sults=true

Seriously, almost no issue has this kind of across the board bipartisan support from the public. If the opposition to lifting the ban is going to come primarily from the DFL it only opens the door for the GOP to use it as a wedge issue in the future. Don't give them the opportunity.

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FISHMANPET
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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby FISHMANPET » February 21st, 2017, 10:39 am

Ugh Torres Ray is my senator as well, guess it's time to get writing. Though was glad to see Rep Davnie voted for Sunday sales, even after he talked about it at the Caucus last year and said he was against Sunday sales..

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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby Silophant » February 21st, 2017, 10:44 am

How close was it the last time the Senate voted on it?
Joey Senkyr
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twincitizen
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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby twincitizen » February 21st, 2017, 12:16 pm

28 Aye, 35 Nay, 4 absent

(at least) 10 ayes retired or were defeated last November: Bonoff, Dahle, Hann, Nienow, Ortman, B Petersen, Reinert, Scalze, Sieben, and Thompson.

Two of those ayes (Reinert and Sieben) were replaced by likely nays (Simonson and Schoen) due to their union or law enforcement affiliations, respectively.

(at least) 10 nays retired/defeated: A Johnson, Brown, Jensen, Koenen, Metzen, J Pederson, Rosen, Sauxhaug, Skoe, and Stumpf.

Unless urban DFLers change their votes en masse as happened in the House, it's going to be very, very close. Torres Ray, Hayden, Latz, etc need to change their votes, along with freshman (Little, Cwodzinski, Klein, etc) voting in the affirmative. The good news is that there are 22 Freshman Senators this year, and less-tenured members tend to support Sunday sales.

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twincitizen
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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby twincitizen » February 22nd, 2017, 12:47 pm

Senate Commerce Committee passed the bill, 7-4. I don't know how each member voted, but I heard Jeff Hayden is now a yes. Members of the committee having previously voted against are Dahms, Latz, Limmer & Sparks, who I'd guess are the 4 no votes. Doubtful those 4 change their minds between now and the full Senate vote.

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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby QuietBlue » February 22nd, 2017, 1:23 pm

I'd tend to agree that this alone isn't really that big of an issue, but it probably plays well into a narrative that Daudt can spin that pegs the DFL as being beholden to a bunch of fringe groups and not particularly responsive to what "REAL MINNESOTANS" want.
He wouldn't even have to spin anything, because in this situation, at least, that's exactly what's been happening.

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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby EOst » February 22nd, 2017, 2:27 pm

I heard from one of her constituents this morning that Dziedzic has switched in favor as well. Looking more and more like this might be the year.

amiller92
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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby amiller92 » February 22nd, 2017, 4:02 pm

Torres Ray say she's now a yes:
Dear Neighbor,

Thank you for taking the time to connect with my office to express your strong support for Sunday liquor sales.

You and other constituents expressed disappointment with my position on this issue in the past. I have been opposed to this change in legislation since I got elected to the Senate, not because I was unwilling to hear your concerns, or because I‘ve been lobbied by special interests.

I have opposed Sunday liquor sales because we have many small family owned liquor stores in our district who oppose this change. They want to have Sundays off to do their administrative work, and they argue that being opened an extra day would not increase sales, it would only spread sales out over seven days, forcing them to absorb the increase in staffing costs, eventually putting them out of business. They also fear that this is a move towards allowing larger grocery stores into the market, which will definitely put small liquor stores out of business.

I’m a strong supporter of small, family owned business. I’ve often argued that we need to do a better job of representing their voices here at the Capitol; that commitment is what has guided my vote.

Having said all of this, after hearing from so many constituents, I have decided to support Sunday liquor sales this year. You are the voices that I listen to. Your priorities are the priorities I represent.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to represent you in the Minnesota Senate. Your voices have always guided my work at the legislature. I’m thankful for the privilege to represent a community who is constantly engaged in conversations that impact all of us.

Please feel free to contact me to discuss other concerns.

Sincerely,
Senator Patricia Torres Ray

talindsay
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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby talindsay » February 22nd, 2017, 4:09 pm

You beat me to it, I was just going to paste that in here. So glad to hear she's changed her position, and I think it's a pretty nicely written response too.

billhelm
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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby billhelm » February 23rd, 2017, 9:49 am

I appreciate that Torres Ray changed her position, but I find her "small business" positioning to be suspect. Her district consists of Minneapolis stores that have cover from zoning which basically gives them geographic monopoly, or Richfield, where the stores are run by the city.

VAStationDude
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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby VAStationDude » February 23rd, 2017, 11:17 am

I know plenty of people who live Minneapolis who have purchased booze at Costco (guilty) or total wine (not guilty).

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mister.shoes
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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby mister.shoes » February 23rd, 2017, 4:08 pm

Total Wine: guilty. But it's close to my work and I ran there over lunch and I felt terrible about it.
The problem with being an introvert online is that no one knows you're just hanging out and listening.

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mister.shoes
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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby mister.shoes » February 23rd, 2017, 4:10 pm

Actually on topic: as mentioned previously, our favorite local liquor store is a ma and pa shop and it happens to be in her district. I suspect they are against Sunday sales, but I don't really want to know. We'll keep going there regardless because we like them.
The problem with being an introvert online is that no one knows you're just hanging out and listening.

twincitizen
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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby twincitizen » February 27th, 2017, 12:34 pm

The Senate is really close to a vote. Maj. Leader Gazelka just spoke (typically meaning debate is over) and bill author Miller is wrapping up. Watch here: http://theuptake.org/live-channel/mn-senate-channel/

EDIT: PASSES 38-28!!! Finally we can be rid of this perennial issue at the Legislature (and also buy booze on Sundays)!

acs
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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby acs » February 27th, 2017, 12:38 pm

Holy shit, I never thought I'd see the day.

MNdible
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Re: Sunday Liquor Sales and other Beer/Liquor Legislation

Postby MNdible » February 27th, 2017, 1:00 pm

Conference Committee still necessary, no? I don't think the differences between the House bill are too major though.


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