 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||||||
 | |||||
| | ||||
| |||||
 | |||||
| | ||||
| |||||
County OKs Sunday sales of hard liquor Posted: Wednesday, Jul 13, 2005 - 08:29:23 am PDT By R.J. COHN Staff writer
SANDPOINT -- Start polishing your favorite shot glass and brandy snifter -- buying hard liquor on Sundays in Bonner County will soon be possible. In a unanimous vote, Bonner County commissioners passed a controversial resolution Tuesday allowing for the sale of distilled spirits on Sundays in state-contracted liquor stores and markets that have a license to sell it.The decision -- which comes on heels of a previous board's rejection of the same proposal -- paves the way for a potential windfall in anticipated revenue the county could receive from Sunday sales. "I was opposed to this last time, and I'm still very opposed to this," said commissioner chair Marcia Phillips. "It's a personal issue with me, but as a public servant I don't know how I can impose my personal beliefs on the people of Bonner County. I'm struggling with this one."
Last year, the Legislature granted Idaho's 44 counties the option of allowing liquor stores to be open on Sundays. Bonner County, however, was one of 23 counties where liquor could not be sold. Under the state's new law, county officials can vote to allow Sunday spirits sales in their state-controlled liquor stores, or they can place a Sunday-sales measure on the general election ballot for a popular vote. Backers of the legislation considered it a victory for customer convenience and pointed out liquor stores would benefit from the additional foot traffic, increased liquor sales and increased commissions they would make from those sales. "It's a fairness-across-the-board issue," said Commissioner Joe Young. "I know it's an emotional issue, and though I'm personally against it, facts show that most DUI offenses have been from beer and wine and not alcohol. There's a big financial gain to the county, and I don't see any negativity by allowing Sunday liquor sales." Young said his research showed that stores in Idaho selling liquor on Sundays average between $1,000-$3,000 more per month, which in turn adds income to their perspective counties. The resolution will especially benefit Larry Gerow's Food Fresh grocery store in Oldtown, which operates a contract liquor store inside the store. Until now, he has had to block off on Sundays. "Sunday sales from our store would give Bonner County at least $70,000 of increased revenue a year," he said. Not selling hard liquor on Sunday doesn't deter people from drinking, Tracy Almo of the Tamarak Grocery in Priest Lake told commissioners "They just purchase another form of alcohol, or go to a bar and buy a drink," she said. "The whole argument seems ridiculous. I can't see why you wouldn't approve this." Idaho is not alone in relaxing liquor sales regulations on Sundays. Other states are also taking a closer look at it as a way to raise revenue. In the past 2 1/2 years, 11 states have made Sunday sales of alcohol legal, bringing the total number of states allowing it to 32. In Oregon -- where Sunday liquor sales were legalized three years ago -- state revenue from liquor sales was up 8 percent last year, which officials say is due partly to Sunday sales. POST YOUR OPINION
* All comment posts will encounter a possible delay of up to 24 hours.
|
Bonner County Daily Bee
P.O. Box 159 / Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 / 208-263-9534
Bonner County Daily Bee Online is updated at 10am PST.