Sunday liquor sales bill goes to House

? Sunday liquor sales would be allowed anywhere in the state when approved by local voters under a bill approved Friday by the Senate, which rejected a bid to ban such sales statewide.

The 25-14 vote sent the bill to the House.

The statewide ban was offered Thursday by Sen. Jim Barnett, R-Emporia, and it failed on a 15-19 vote. A physician, Barnett said alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable deaths.

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley opposed Barnett’s amendment, saying many communities have already decided they want Sunday sales.

“This amendment says the voters have spoken but we’re going to take your voice away. It’s a bad amendment because it reverses the will of the people,” said Hensley, D-Topeka.

Two years ago, the Supreme Court ruled communities could opt out of the state Liquor Control Act, which bans Sunday sales, because it isn’t applied uniformly. As a result, two counties and 23 cities adopted ordinances allowing Sunday sales of package liquor and beer.

Most of those communities are near Missouri, where Sunday sales have been allowed for decades.