By Justin Schneider, Herald Bulletin Online Reporter/Manager
ANDERSON — A call for the reform of Indiana alcohol laws is pitting grocery and convenience store owners against liquor stores.
On Monday, the Interim Study Committee on Alcoholic Beverage issues held its second meeting at the Indiana State House in Indianapolis to hear testimony on both sides of the debate for Sunday alcohol sales in Indiana.
“My intent is to introduce legislation next session for carry-out for sales for home consumption at convenience and grocery stores,” said Sen. Phil Boots, R-Crawfordsville, told the committee. “I feel it’s time to modernize Indiana’s alcohol laws. It’s time to bring convenience to our customers on the second-busiest shopping day of the week.”
Boots also called for an end to the “monopoly” of liquor stores on the sale of cold beer. Boots is a convenience store owner and said his constituents often cross the state line into Illinois to subvert Indiana liquor laws.
John Livengood, president of the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers, spoke in support of the status quo. He represents package liquor stores that some parties claim hold a monopoly on cold beer sales.
“Alcohol is no less intoxicating, addictive and dangerous than when our laws were written,” Livengood said. “There is no public outcry for change. A well-funded lobbying campaign has tried to create an issue where none exists.”
Livengood said package stores would likely cease to exist under the proposed legislation.
The lobbying campaign to which he referred was the group, Hoosiers for Beverage Choices. Its director, Matt Norris, also testified. He said the group formed in August 2008 with support from the drug and convenience store industry and has since connected with 35,000 supporters via its Web site.
“Our Web page provides a voice to the consumer,” Norris said. “Our consumers want the convenience of being able to buy their alcohol on Sunday, the second-business shopping day of the week.”
John Elliott, public affair’s manager for Kroger’s central division, echoed the sentiment that the desire for legislation has to do with customer convenience.
“This debate is about free choice, fundamental and simple,” Elliott said. “Giving our customers and your voters the right to buy what they want to buy. We’re the largest food retailer in this country and despite that scale, we rarely lobby on an issue. When have you seen a person from Kroger in the chair lobbying? We’re speaking out socially and personally because it’s such a significant issue for the customer.”
When Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, expressed concern that Elliott was lobbying on behalf of a product that accounts for just 5 percent of Kroger’s sales, Elliott responded that alcohol was among the “trigger” products, such as milk, that shape consumer spending habits.
Douglas Pendleton, owner of the Grapevine Cottage, a gourmet food and wine distributor in Zionsville. Pendleton holds a grocery store license, and believes the legalization of Sunday sales would improve his business.
“People shop on Sunday, it’s become part of our culture,” Pendleton said. “Not being able to shop for a product is a problem. It’s anathema. We have 450 members of a wine club and, owing to Indiana state laws, they come and pick up wine every Monday. They would prefer to pick it up on Sunday.”
Warren Scheidt of Cork Liquors in Columbus and vice president of the American Beverage Licensing Board of Directors said that proponents of relaxed alcohol laws go too far.
“If we were to accept these policies, Indiana would have one of the eight most liberal alcohol policies in the country,” Scheidt said. “We’d go from the top of this list to the bottom of the list. Indiana has less alcohol-related deaths than do our four neighboring states.”
Randy Zion runs a package liquor retailer in Indianapolis that employs 36 people. He said it was lawmakers who first established the system that kept alcohol sales separate from the sale of other products, some of which appeal to children.
“Limited access and availability stores can’t compete with open access and availability stores,” he said. Ron Cole, the owner of a Lafayette liquor store, said it would cost his business $20,000 in labor hours alone.
“The spin is consumer convenience,” Cole said. “What consumer, in this immediate-gratification society would not want this. But I would like you to consider the consequences of un-permitted sales.”
Contact Justin Schneider: 640-4809, justin.schneider @heraldbulletin.com
