TOPEKA — A proposal to allow the sale of liquor in convenience stores and grocery stores will come before the state Legislature this year, even though lawmakers have rejected a similar proposal in the past.
Uncork Kansas, a coalition of convenience stores, grocery stores, and chambers of commerce, said it planned to have a bill introduced “as early in the legislative session as possible,” said Jody Hanson, a spokeswoman for the group.
Kansans can buy liquor only in retail liquor stores, except for 3.2 beer and wine coolers. Supporters of the changes say the state law is antiquated and restricts the free market, while liquor store owners contend they might be forced out of business if the law changes, The Wichita Eagle reported.
Kent Eckles, vice president of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, said the existing law allows the state to choose which businesses can sell liquor.
“It is protecting an illegal monopoly,” he said.
Hanson predicted that more grocery and convenience stores would be built if the laws are changed, bringing more jobs to the state.
But Spencer Duncan, executive director of Keep Kansans in Business said the legislation would hurt existing stores, particularly in rural areas.
“We know that passing it opens no new businesses in the state of Kansas. However, we know passing it closes businesses in the state of Kansas,” he said.
Duncan said he was disappointed that the Kansas Chamber of Commerce supports the new proposed legislation because it contradicts the chamber’s goal of expanding the tax base. Money would go to states where corporations like Wal-Mart and QuikTrip are headquartered, he said.
“Dollars to liquor stores stay in the local communities. A dollar must stay in an economy for that economy to prosper,” he said. “It makes no sense to let that dollar leave.”
Hanson said more than 27,000 people have signed a petition in support of changing the liquor laws, and 2,500 have sent messages of support to legislators through Uncork Kansas’ website.
This year’s debate might be different in a Legislature with several new lawmakers who were elected after redistricting last year.
Eckles said he expects another difficult battle in the legislature. “There’s a lot of free-market people in the Legislature, but it takes several years for big ideas like this to pass,” he said.
Duncan said he doesn’t know what to expect.
“When you have so many new legislators, it’s a double-sided coin,” Duncan said. “Who the heck knows what they’re going to do? It’s a little scary. On the other side, we have a chance to educate new people.”
Comments
mikekt 5 months, 2 weeks ago
We need to make it easier for people to become drunks !.....and a social liability !
That would make lots of jobs such as street cops, drunk tank officers, substance abuse counselors, undertakers, surgeons to repair the DWI consequences, auto body repairman, etc. !
Sounds like an economic stimulus program, to me,......plus more taxes off of the misdoings and misseries of others........net, clean, convenient ?! So business orientated !.........and the public can pay for the clean up of it all ! Whoo-Hooo !
Curtis Lange 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Not everyone that drinks drinks to get drunk... It's ignorant comments/thinking like yours that holds back progress.
none2 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Kind of like plenty of men read Playboy simply for the interesting articles, and plenty of people smoke for the flavor and not the buzz?
LarryNative 5 months, 2 weeks ago
When I go out to dinner or a social mixer, it's rare I see a person getting really drunk. My wife may have one drink and thats it. If I am driving I have one glass of wine at dinner and that's it. We don't hang out at bars for 4 hours so maybe that's where you get your opinion everyone who drinks gets to intoxicated to drive but that is not my experience at all.
chelseadiane 5 months, 2 weeks ago
lots of people have a drink or two. its called social drinking. Not everyone gets plowed every time they have a glass of wine or a beer. i see many, many people in restaurants and cocktail parties only have 1-2 drinks, rarely is anyone lights-out drunk.
mikekt 5 months, 1 week ago
Progress, Progress, Progress...... to what ends ? Their are liquor stores and bars all over this town......and there is always the next drunken driver,.......as is ! When all of the small liquor stores are gone, the way of the corner grocery stores, what will you call it then, with all of those vacant store fronts ?
Do you really want to go to the grocery with kids in tow, only to have to stand in line behind some intoxicated fool who's back for the next fix, who just wet his or her pants ? "Clean up at the checkout stands "!!!!!! Progress ? Keep it in the Bars & Liquor stores ! Gee, ........maybe that's why the don't sell spirits at McDonalds ?????
msezdsit 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Its not alcohol that harms people its people who harm people
Liberty275 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Wow. You got something right! Kudos.
msezdsit 5 months, 1 week ago
Oh come on liberty, I always get it right. Your just a slow learner.
mommatocharlie 5 months, 2 weeks ago
then maybe it should be harder for drunks to get their fix. Grocery stores carrying are NOT the best option. Education is.
msezdsit 5 months, 1 week ago
yep, your right momma.
mikekt 5 months, 1 week ago
Yea, drunks get drunk in bars, take a swing at the bar tender or some other person, get in their cars and drive the wrong way into oncoming traffic, cost society a fortune to deal with thru their run ins with the law & the court systems, etc..
Some people simply lack the ability to say no to the next one, after they have the first one.
That is a medical-mental mis function, which has nothing to do with judgement other than they must learn to not drink the first one to begin with.
awdvkd 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Again here we go blaming the system instead of the person. When will people start blaming people for thier action not everything else. The world will be a better place when personal responsibilty is the only responsibility! You cant blame others for what you do, unfortunately the innocent suffer from bad choices made by others.
FarneyMac 5 months, 2 weeks ago
"No government regulation!" ....unless it's regulating something we are opposed to!
Ah, Kansas. You're so predictable in your backwards-ness.
none2 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Oh yes, that is so unique to Kansas.
DEDO 5 months, 2 weeks ago
How about including home delivery? Make it even more convenient.
none2 5 months, 2 weeks ago
How about having it available at fast food drive-thru windows? Why not have a MacTini on the Rocks with that Big Mac.
bookemdano 5 months, 2 weeks ago
The most pathetic thing about this is that it's not some radical untested idea. Take a drive 40 miles across the Missouri border sometime and witness both liquor stores and grocery stores living in harmony, selling alcoholic beverages to responsible adults. Been that way for a long time.
(facepalm)
moehobart 5 months, 2 weeks ago
You have to understand that passing this law only helps big business i.e. walmart quik trip, and hurts small business owners who put their dollars back into the community. Putting alcohol into grocery stores and gas stations wont increase revenue it will only spread it, thus driving up the cost. Sure it would be convenient but if its not broken dont fix it.
juma 5 months, 2 weeks ago
No one should make any comments until they have read the Kansas ABC laws. Kansas alcohol laws are a mess and changing one part impacts dozens of other laws and conflicts. Best to rewrite the whole damn book. Do not compare Missouri or Colorado or any state without a complete comparison. Remember where the infamous Carrie Nation was living!
Ron Holzwarth 5 months, 1 week ago
Carrie Nation lived in Kentucky, Missouri, Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, and finally moved back to and died in Kansas. She moved around a lot!
ljreader 5 months, 2 weeks ago
A better idea would be to allow liquor stores to sell other items- mixers, cigarettes, etc. This law would be punitive to liquor store owners (usually small businesses).
ksjayhawk74 5 months, 2 weeks ago
This proposed change will not get more grocery stores and convenience stores built...
We already have plenty of grocery stores and convenience stores and adding liquor to the shelves isn't going to increase sales so much that whole new store will be needed.
dabbindan 5 months, 2 weeks ago
not a big issue on the scale of things. there will be winners and losers and maybe a wash for jobs on the whole...but...
if there is a major dislocation for liquor store owners in terms of employment and viability of their business, what job options do these dislocated people have in this economy? very limited ones. what is the upside for grocery stores? more profits in an already adequately profitable business. no grocery store is going to go out of business because they don't get to sell liquor.
if this is so important, for the sake of the liquor store industry which could be devastated, wait a few years for a better economy so there are better options available to them besides unemployment.
George_Braziller 5 months, 2 weeks ago
The liquor laws in Kansas are absurd and are still stuck in Prohibition mentality. Can sell gin in a liquor store but can't sell ice, cups, tonic water, or limes for a gin and tonic unless it's completely separated from the store and has its own cash register and books.
forealzies 5 months, 2 weeks ago
say goodbye to my little neighborhood liquor stores (Parkway & Glasshouse). They'll be gone within a few years if this passes. Remember....R's love small biz...we'll see how they vote. Yes Kansas is screwed up.....but this is why small biz liquor stores locate next to big biz.
LawrenceCatbackers 5 months, 1 week ago
As a former liquor store owner in the state of Kansas, you might understand my point of view... but the changing of the laws will not better our society. (and just because our neighbors do it, doesn't mean we have to do it also.) Yes, Kansas is backward in many of its ideas and beliefs compared to other states out there, but I'd still rather live here with our relatively low crime rate and better quality of living than anywhere else in the nation.
funkdog1 5 months, 1 week ago
My fear is that this law could lead to liquor stores closing. Why punish those businesses? I can't see that adding more liquor in more locations would lead to more consumption, it would just lead to the dollars being spread more thinly.
MKrics 5 months, 1 week ago
Come on guys... This is AMERICA. The free market should dictate business. Not government, and especially not a REPUBLICAN government. No one will make people shop at the supermarket for alcohol. . If people want to shop at the small liquor stores, they are welcome to. The fact of the matter is, supermarkets and convenience stores are more convenient. By passing this law, the CONSUMER wins. They have the choice where to buy beer and alcohol.
Smaller stores can offer superior customer service and knowledge over huge chains, but it is up to them to differentiate their product. They probably won't be able to match national chains on price (think Wal-Mart... it's the #1 retailer for a reason - they're cheap). If they can't keep up with the changes, it's their loss and the consumers' win. Lawrence has a full range stores... From ALDI to the Merc and HyVee in grocery stores, and from Sonic to Pachamamas in restaurants. Yet, there are enough people to keep them all in business. The weak don't survive, the strong get stronger. Laws like the current ones are why the nation laughs at Kansas. Lets change this!
BOULEVARDWHEAT 5 months, 1 week ago
The liquor lobby is after self preservation. They were the ones that fought against sunday beer sales because they liked the extra days off. If you go to Missouri, there are plenty of liquor stores.
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