Bill for Sunday alcohol sales killed

WISH TV

Updated: Feb 13, 2013 6:41 PM

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The ban on Sunday liquor sales in Indiana will remain in place for a least another year. 

It's because Republican Bill Davis of Portland is against the bill and, as a committee chairman, he has the ability to prevent a vote on it. 

He will not call a vote.

That decision comes despite a lengthy hearing last week. Supporters of Sunday sales have long argued that it sends business to stores in other states and prevents consumers from doing all of their shopping in one store on the second busiest day of the week.

The owners of mom-and-pop liquor stores, on the other hand, say that many of them would go out of business if big box stores could sell liquor on Sunday.  Bill Davis is on their side. 

"I didn't hear anything one way or the other that was real decisive," said Davis, "that would make it seem urgent."

Rep. Sean Eberhart (R-Shelbyville) is the author of the Sunday sales bill. He won a small victory by getting the first hearing on the issue in memory. 

"I will file the bill again next year," he said, "and hopefully we'll have another hearing and make some additional progress on it."

There is still time for a vote before the committee deadline but Representative Davis says he won't schedule any more committee meetings in the first half of the 2013 session.

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