I’ve always wondered why most businesses have reduced hours on Sunday and why liquor stores aren’t even open. I had never heard of Blue Laws until I read this commentary/editorial. Blue laws were created with the idea that Sunday should be a day of religion and/or rest. Therefore, stores close early and liquor stores aren’t even open, just to name a few of the restrictions. Apparently, the state of Texas feels that by allowing the sale of liquor seven days a week (to include Sundays of course), they could generate as much as $8 million dollars for the state. This is being proposed as an alternative to increasing taxes or nixing state programs. Personally, I don’t believe that opening liquor stores one additional day during the week will increase sales much. It would just mean that people don’t have to make a mad dash to the liquor store by 9 p.m. Saturday to buy their stash. But, I guess it can’t hurt, so why not? I do agree with the author in supporting the extinction of blue laws because they are old and outdated. However, I don’t feel that this article was well written. The author, Charles Kuffner, didn’t even have the hard facts or a solid piece of information to base this on. He states, “there’s no information given about said bill…I’m not sure what its number is, or whether there may be more than one such bill”. He does note they were able to locate a similar bill (HB863) that would allow liquor to be sold on Sundays but also notes, “that doesn’t quite fit the description in this story, but it’s all I could find”. So, why is he even writing this article? Where is he getting this information? What is this bill to rid of blue laws you speak of?
