Sunday Booze Sales in Indiana Could Be Poised for Change

The issue of Sunday booze sales could be gaining some solid ground, as a recent change in the Indiana House committee could be just what the state needs to repeal its Prohibition-era ban.

Republican Tom Dermody was recently appointed chairman of the House Public Policy Committee, which is where all alcohol-related legislation begins. The hope is that Dermody will allow the measure to be put up to vote, unlike his predecessor Republican Bill Davis, who denied the initiative last year.

Dermody says that while he hasn’t made any decisions on how he will side with the issue, he is dedicated to listening to both sides before moving forward.

“I’m going to know a lot more in the next 40 days,” said Dermody. “The one thing I can tell you is we’re going to start on time and each side will get a fair hearing.”

However, supporters of Sunday sales say that Dermody is definitely a step in the right direction for repealing this ancient law.

“I think the selection of Rep. Dermody to chair the public policy committee is a positive development for those of us in support of Sunday sales,” said Grant Monahan, president of the Indiana Retail Council.

Those that oppose the measure say they are not worried that the power shift in the committee will have any bearing on changing the law. “I think the question is, will he even hear the bill?” said Patrick Tamm, president of the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers.

One thing is for sure, both sides are eager to see how the issue plays out when the 2014 General Assembly session begins on January 6.