Sunday liquor sales shot down by lawmakers yet again

Sunday liquor sales is a tightly sealed bottle that no legislature has been able to crack -- including this one.

Poll after poll shows Sunday sales has strong support among Minnesotans, and the populist pressure found its way to the Senate floor today in the form of an amendment to the omnibus liquor bill proposed by Sen. Susan Kent (D-Woodbury).

Kent's amendment would've legalized Sunday sales, but it failed by a 35 to 28 vote.

That result was decried by Sen. Scott Dibble (D-Minneapolis).

"All the arguments that have been offered are frankly lost on my constituents," Dibble said. "And the fact of the matter is 38 states have come to the same understanding and the same realization."

But fact is many outstate senators still oppose letting liquor stores open on Sundays.

"This is very similar to our car dealers," said Sen. David Tomassoni (D-Chisholm). "Our car dealers are not open on Sundays because they work six days a week, they work all day long and they don't want to work on Sunday and our main street liquor stores are exactly the same."

Today did bring some good news for Sunday sales supporters, however.

The omnibus liquor bill that passed today will allow Minnesotans to buy beer growlers on Sunday, and also allows bars and restaurants to sell bloody Marys and other alcoholic drinks on Sundays starting at 8 in the morning.