KANSAS CITY, KAN. ? Two of the three cities in Wyandotte County have taken steps to become the first cities in Kansas to allow the sale of packaged liquor on Sunday.

The governing bodies of Kansas City, Kan., and Edwardsville voted on measures that could allow the move for liquor stores.

However, Kansas law prohibits the sale of packaged liquor on Sunday, said Robert Longino, director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control of the state Department of Revenue.

“We do not believe that the city has the authority to do that,” Longino said.

But officials with Wyandotte County’s Unified Government and the city of Edwardsville said Friday that Kansas’ home-rule statute allows municipal governments to circumvent some state laws.

In the case of Sunday packaged-liquor sales, that is exactly what the two governing bodies want to do. The third city in Wyandotte County, Bonner Springs, has no such plan under way.

The measures in both cities do not cover grocery or convenience stores, which would continue to be prohibited from selling beer on Sunday. Restaurants and bars are allowed to sell liquor by the drink on Sunday throughout the county.

On Thursday the Unified Government Board of Commissioners voted 8-1 to put a proposal on the Nov. 5 ballot that would allow liquor stores to be open from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday in Kansas City, Kan.

The commission decided to go straight to the voters rather than debate the issue for months, Unified Government Mayor Carol Marinovich said.

“If the people of Wyandotte County vote it in, it’s the only way for us to let the (Kansas) Legislature know we want a statewide local option” on Sunday liquor sales, said Hal Walker, Unified Government chief counsel.

Walker added that he expected a court challenge if voters approved the measure.

Last Monday, the Edwardsville City Council unanimously approved a charter ordinance allowing its one liquor store to open on Sunday. In theory, the law would take effect in November unless a resident registered formal opposition. If an Edwardsville resident did register opposition, the issue could go before voters.