Yesterday morning in Michigan was an awakening from 100 years of draconian law banning the sales of alcoholic beverages before noon on Sundays.
Granted the establishments need to acquire (purchase) an annual permit from the State to do so, but the following local news clip features a customer who represents one of my strongest arguments for years now just why this should have happened much sooner.
I to had worked on third-shift for a time and the law banning the sales infuriated me even more so than it did before. Besides the work schedule conflict in timing this was an obvious move for any weekend plans be they BBQ's, picnic's, golf outings and so-on.
Apart from the recreational, the economic side of this is a win-win all the way. With more establishments opening their doors earlier (which is inevitable) this will bring more sales in all their products/services thus raising sales taxes to the State besides the taxes on alcoholic purchases themselves. On that note, opening doors earlier, now this either entails employees working overtime or the employer hiring additional staff which of course now raises income tax to the State in either scenario. That plus the additional revenue to the State as stated previously from the purchase of annual permits will generate even more as time goes on.
With the state revenues in a shambles this law was a no-brainer and should have been changed, well 100 years ago.
Another big change to reforming the Michigan laws regarding the sale of liquor is Christmas. Christmas holiday sale opportunities have also been expanded: The old law barred sales from 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve through Christmas day, whereas the new law permits sales until midnight on December 24 and after noon on the 25th.
