Folks Continue Push For IN Alcohol Laws

Many store owners say it's an inconvenient truth.

"One day out of the week our customers are inconvenienced at a convenience store to purchase an item that they may want to consume at home” says Ray McIntosh who operates four Fort Wayne convenience stores.

McIntosh is urging lawmakers to change the state's alcohol law.

"There have been approximately 50,000 people have signed

Either a paper or online petition in favor of overturning this archaic Indiana law” says McIntosh,

Indiana doesn't allow carry-out alcohol sales on Sunday It’s is one of only 14 states with this law.

McIntosh is one of many owners part of The Alliance of Responsible Alcohol Retailers. The group's launched a campaign called "Change It Indiana." It’s aimed at overturning the state's alcohol law.

"This is a significant customer service problem for Kroger and other retailers every Sunday” John Elliot of Kroger Public Relations tells FOX Fort Wayne today.

Kroger is also pushing for change. Sunday is the second busiest shopping day of the week. Studies show that Indiana loses out on $9-million-a-year in tax revenue to neighboring states-like Michigan and Ohio.

"We have a 19th century law that is out of sync with 20th-century buying patterns” says Elliot.

And with football season upon us, store owners say the hit is harder,

especially when Superbowl Sunday rolls around.

"We had the colts playing in the Superbowl this past year on a Sunday and nobody in Indiana could go into their favorite convenience store of grocery store and buy a pack of beer” says McIntosh.

In addition to no Sunday sales, Indiana also doesn't allow cold-beer carry-out at stores like Kroger. Customers have to go to liquor stores for that, and when they do they face a premium charge.

"It's just time that we bring our laws into the 21st century” says State Senator Phil Boots of Crawfordsville, who will keep pushing for change.

His attempt this year failed. Boots will reintroduce the issue at the upcoming legislative session, and hopes for a different outcome this time around.

"It's a long session. There's more time to hear certain bills” says Boots.