Indiana’s "outdated" laws on alcohol sales have struck a nerve with Hoosiers around the state, according to a new survey that shows a large number of people favor cold beer sales.
A statewide poll, released Monday afternoon by the Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association commissioned by Ricker’s gas stations, found participants “strongly favored allowing Sunday carryout sales, and enabling liquor stores to sell a wider variety of products.”
The poll revealed 70 percent of Hoosiers surveyed believe drug, grocery and convenience stores have the right to carry cold beer, with 64 percent of people repealing the restriction on liquor stores.
“Those under the age of 35 are considerably more likely to favor reforms like allowing cold beer to be sold and carry-out sales of alcohol on Sundays,” according to the survey.
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Eighty percent of people surveyed said implementing the most popular reforms would have no impact on the buying habits of customers. The poll also found 57 percent of people were against requiring all alcohol to be sold behind counters in drug, grocery and convenience stores.
“This poll confirms that Hoosiers view Indiana’s alcohol laws as nonsensical and in desperate need of change,” said Scot Imus, executive director of IPCA. “We are encouraged that this has been acknowledged by the leadership of the General Assembly with the announcement last week of the establishment of the alcohol code revision commission.”
You can currently buy alcohol in Indiana between 7 a.m. and 3 a.m. Monday through Saturday. A bill to allow Sunday sales has been introduced in the past three Indiana legislative sessions, but all three attempts have failed.
In March, Indiana lawmakers were made aware of the loophole Ricker’s gas stations were using to sell cold beer.
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Owner Jay Ricker said the gas stations and convenience stores were able to apply for liquor licenses at two of their locations in Sheridan and Columbus if they operated as restaurants.
Lawmakers passed a bill to prevent Ricker’s cold beer sales in late April.
The House approved the bill on an 84-13 vote and the measure passed the Senate on a 43-1 vote. On May 2, Gov. Eric Holcomb signed legislation to officially close the loophole.
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Fabrizio, Lee & Associates spoke to 600 registered voters by phone to conduct the survey May 8-11 with a margin of error of 5 percent.
