The Senate Federal and State Affairs adopted amendments to SB 456, changing the adjusted sales time for beer wine and spirits on Sundays to "no earlier than 10 a.m.", amending the language in current law regarding local ordinances and elections, and removing summer holidays from the local ordinance process.

Parties who testified on the bill including KABR, KARLL, the Kansas League of Municipalities, Division of ABC, and the convenience stores group negotiated amendments since the public hearing a week ago.

The first amendment allows local option to extend earlier Sunday sales hours to liquor stores and CMB retailers (grocery and convenience stores) to begin no earlier than 10:00 a.m. The initial bill allowed for 9 a.m. and had elicited concerns about uniformity.

• Earlier Sunday hours were requested by liquor stores and CMB retailers – the issue mostly comes up to be able to serve customers before noon football games and those who are heading to lunch gatherings, family picnics, etc.  It is a particular issue for those stores within driving distance to the Missouri border.  (Missouri passed earlier hours immediately when Kansas passed Sunday sales.)
• Continues to provide for local option ordinances or elections to enact Sunday sales.
• Revisor believes the amendment continues to provide for a uniform Liquor Control Act by allowing the same process for all cities/counties.
• The ABC had suggested doing away with the local ordinances and making all days the same – 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. with the option for shorter hours, but the parties agreed not to go that far.  Several legislators were not supportive.  

Another amendment deletes references to summer holidays - Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day. 

The KABR requested this amendment to fix a problem for liquor store owners who are supposed to close on Saturday, July 4th 2020 while their competition - grocery stores and convenience stores - are selling beer.  Expecting a store to be closed on July 4^th this year will cost that owner significant business.

WHY?  

Current law requires cities to choose to pass an ordinance FOR Sunday sales and summer holiday sales for liquor store retailers and CMB retailers (grocery stores and convenience stores).

If they choose to NOT allow Sunday sales, they are supposed to pass an ordinance to prohibit CMB retailers from selling on those summer holidays. This was part of the original Sunday sales law but it does not seem to be happening.  This is not fair.

Passing this amendment assures that these summer holidays are equally available to liquor store retailers and CMB retailers.

NO CHANGE FOR MOST CITIES:  Most cities have passed the Sunday sales ordinance and allow summer holiday sales plus Sunday sales for both liquor store retailers and CMB retailers and are not affected by this amendment.

YES TO LOCAL OPTION FOR SUNDAY SALES:  Cities will continue to choose whether or not to allow Sunday sales by local option (with the new optional 10:00 am time).  The summer holidays are removed from that process.

EQUAL DAYS OF SALE FOR BOTH LIQUOR STORES AND CMB RETAILERS (Grocery and Convenience Stores) although the grocery and convenience stores will continue to operate with longer daily hours.

COMPLY WITH THE BEER COMPROMISE?  Participants have assured that hours of sale are not an issue of concern - especially as the amendment does not add days or hours for liquor stores that would be more than what the CMB retailers are already allowed.