Oct 15, 2007 11:50 pm US/Central
Good Question: Why Can't We Buy Alcohol On Sunday?
(WCCO)
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Laws like those that keep liquor stores closed on Sundays are often referred to as "blue laws" in reference to the Puritans' often rigid and frigid moral laws.
AP
There's nothing like a Sunday afternoon in Minnesota. Most of us have the day off, it's the perfect time to finish errands and shop around.
However, in our state and others, Sunday is a day of rest for some stores. You're out of luck if you're looking for a new car or a bottle of wine to go with dinner, because Minnesota law does not allow car dealers and liquor stores to open on Sundays.
"So why not?" asked one man in Minneapolis, speaking for many.
"The motivation, the purpose has changed," said Dr. Joe Daly, a professor of law at Hamline University, who says these Sunday statutes date back to colonial times. "You couldn't sell things, you couldn't buy things, you couldn't play sports on Sunday."
They are often referred to as "blue laws," in reference to the Puritans' often rigid and frigid moral laws.
"They were trying to have people be in church, to pray to God, read the Bible," said Daly, "That was the purpose of the blue laws originally."
In more recent times, these laws have been challenged on the grounds that they violate the separation of church and state.
"Although it once started out for religious purposes, it has changed to a secular purpose," said Daly.
The Supreme Court has ruled that some "blue laws" are legal because they "promote the general welfare," as stated in the U.S. Constitution.
"There's a benefit to society to say that there's going to be one day of rest," said Daly.
However, most "blue laws" have been repealed, which is why most stores and restaurants are open on Sundays. The car lots and liquor stores stay closed largely because their owners want it that way.
All of their competitors are closed so there is no disadvantage to any one owner. It allows them to give their employees a day off and cut costs. The Minnesota Auto Dealers Association has actually fought efforts to allow dealerships to open on Sundays.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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