State Rep. Terri Austin notes that Indiana is moving closer to “common sense” alcohol laws

INDIANAPOLIS – Thanks to long hours of work by lawmakers like State Rep. Terri J. Austin (D-Anderson), Indiana is taking significant strides toward passage of laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages that finally make sense.

Indiana House members today passed House Bill 1051, legislation co-authored by Austin that finally will allow Sunday carryout alcohol sales in the state. The measure, which now moves to the Indiana Senate for consideration, closely mirrors a proposal (Senate Bill 1) that already has cleared that chamber.

House Bill 1051 would allow carryout alcohol sales from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday at package liquor stores, grocery stores, convenience stores and drug stores. Indiana’s “Blue Law” on alcohol dates back to the 1940s.

The measure is the product of work done by Austin and other members of the Alcohol Code Revision Committee formed by legislative leaders last year to try and modernize the state’s alcohol laws, some of which have not been changed for close to a century.

“The first words that come to mind when thinking about House Bill 1051 are common sense,” Austin said. “These are the first steps toward bringing Indiana’s alcohol laws into the 21st Century. Might I add, these changes are long overdue. They reflect a public sentiment that believes our state should not be stuck with archaic laws that reflect thinking of the Prohibition Era, when they were first enacted.

“Considering the large margins of support that this proposal received in both its House and Senate versions, I would say that lawmakers are finally ready to follow the public’s wishes on this issue,” she continued.

“This is a positive sign, but we shouldn’t be satisfied with simply lifting this prohibition,” Austin noted. “There is more—much more—that can be done, and we have the time to do it.”