Alcohol Commission Chair Responds To Grocery, Liquor Store Request

The head of a special study commission isn’t entirely on board with a recent deal struck between grocery and liquor stores in the ongoing debate over changes to Indiana’s alcohol laws.

Last week, the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers and the Indiana Retail Council partnered to ask the General Assembly to legalize Sunday alcohol sales – but reject efforts to allow cold beer sales outside liquor stores, which has been a key request from the state’s convenience stores.

Alcohol Code Revision Commission Chair Beverly Gard says she was happy to hear the groups make their positions clear. But she says she felt it was jumping the gun a bit.

“The way the issue was framed, it sounds like these two associations have come to a compromise, so that’s going to be the new policy for the state,” Gard says.

The alcohol commission recommended legalizing Sunday alcohol sales at its meeting Tuesday, but has not decided how to proceed on cold beer.