FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Indiana’s NewsCenter) - There's a fight brewing over Indiana’s ban on Sunday alcohol sales.
The dispute is about what some say is an "outdated" alcohol law.
Hoosiers for Beverage Choices say you should be able to buy alcohol and cold beer at drug, grocery and convenience stores on Sundays.
Right now, you can't do that.
Organizers say drug, grocery and convenience stores are "being discriminated against" because they can only sell warm beer - not cold.
Only liquor stores can sell cold beer - and then only Monday through Saturday.
“Liquor stores routinely charge an extra $1.07 for a case of cold beer over a case of warm beer,” said Hoosiers for Beverage Choices Director Matt Norris. “We believe it's because of that monopoly and that if you were to extend cold beer sales to drug, grocery and convenience stores that monopoly would go away and prices would come down.”
Organizers say these laws are costing Hoosiers millions in revenue loss.
“Judging by a study conducted earlier this decade we believe Indiana is losing as much as $9 million a year in tax revenue that comes from people going across the state border into Ohio, Michigan, Illinois to purchase their alcohol on Sunday,” said Hoosiers for Beverage Choices Director Matt Norris.
Organizers say Hoosiers aren't just losing money. They say shoppers are also "inconvenienced" by the restriction of alcohol sales, citing Sunday as the second busiest grocery-shopping day of the week.
Liquor store managers argue they can better-control alcohol sales to minors, if the Sunday restriction remains in place.
But according to a recent Indiana state excise police report four out of 10 package stores would have sold to minors while two and a half grocery stores would have sold to minors.
Officials with the excise police say they're unhappy with the results of the report from both grocery and liquor stores.
Backers of the proposal say they would like to see it enacted by this time next year.
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