Blue laws in the United States
Blue laws are enforced in parts of the United States and Canada as well as some European countries, particularly in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Norway, keeping most stores closed on Sundays.The U.S. Supreme Court has held blue laws as constitutional numerous times, citing secular bases such as securing a day of rest for mail carriers,[2] as well as protecting workers and families, in turn contributing to societal stability and guaranteeing the free exercise of religion.[1][3][4] The origin of the blue laws also partially stems from religion, particularly the prohibition of Sabbath desecration in Christian Churches following the first-day Sabbatarian tradition.[14] Carry-out alcohol sales were strictly prohibited on Sundays until 2011, when the state amended its laws to permit qualified breweries to sell local brews for carryout (generally growlers).Recent efforts to overturn the laws restricting automobile dealerships from opening on Sunday have died in committee in the Maine legislature.[19] Rep. Don Pilon of Saco has led the effort to get rid of the laws that prohibit automobile dealerships from opening for business on Sundays.[20] Maine is also one of three states where it is illegal for almost all businesses to open on Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving, most notably the big department and grocery stores.In the City of Baltimore, a used car dealer may choose to operate on Sunday and not Saturday if it notifies the Motor Vehicle Administration in advance of its intention.[37] On March 2, 2017, the state legislature passed a law allowing for Sunday Liquor Sales to begin on July 2, 2017.[52] The ban on Sunday sales had been in existence since 1656, when implemented by Dutch colony of the New Netherlands, but was voided after 320 years as unconstitutional, in a unanimous decision by the state's highest court on June 17, 1976, because of a finding that "parts of the statue that are rarely enforced by the police and routinely disregarded by thousands of businesses" were "constitutionally defective".[citation needed] Prior to 2006, off-premises alcohol sales were forbidden until noon on Sundays, and liquor/wine stores were required to be closed the entire day.Because grocery stores are not permitted to carry wine or liquor, the older law essentially meant that only beer and alcoholic malt beverages could be purchased at all on Sundays.[54] The NYS Alcoholic Beverage Control Law prohibits the issuance of a full liquor license for establishments on the same street or avenue and within two hundred feet of a building occupied exclusively as a school, church, synagogue or other place of worship.Establishments that serve alcohol onsite are exempt from restrictions prohibiting issuance of license within two hundred feet of a building occupied exclusively as a school, church, synagogue or other place of worship.The changes were made after a 1966 blizzard, after which citizens were not able to purchase some needed goods and services due to the blue law.[citation needed] As of April 2015, 157 of the 603 Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores are open from noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays.Also Sunday restrictions on the hours at the state owned "Fine Wine & Good Spirits" stores were eliminated.[75] In Texas, alcoholic beverage sales are distinguished (and thus blue laws vary) in two different ways: Beer and wine can be sold for "off-premises consumption" by any retailer that can supply and has the proper licenses.In 1974, the General Assembly wrote a new law which continued to prohibit Sunday labor but allowed exceptions for over 60 industries.The grass roots effort centered around a Facebook group called "Legalize Virginia Sunday Hunting for All.During the debate on February 1, 2012,[85] in the Powhatan Today opinion section, Delegate Ware expressed his concern over the dangers surrounding hunting activities in these quotes."Equestrians, hikers, bikers, picnickers, bird-watchers, fishermen, canoeists, kayakers: all of these wish, too, to enjoy Virginia's great outdoors, often on Sunday—and they wish to do so without the threat inevitably posed by the presence of rifle- or shotgun-toting hunters."On November 8, 1966, Washington state voters adopted Initiative 229, repealing the so-called "Blue Law," which had been enacted in 1909.Consumers still had the option of purchasing beer or wine from grocery stores or on-premises spirits from bars and restaurants.In 2005, the state began allowing off-premises spirits sales in select stores on Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. On the election of November 8, 2011, voters passed Initiative 1183, which brought several changes to the liquor distribution and retailing system.[91] The right to observe the Saturday Sabbath as practiced by Jews[92] and Seventh-day Adventists gained momentum in the early 1950s.
Blue lawsU.S. Supreme Courtsecularfree exercise of religionSabbath desecrationfirst-day Sabbatarianlabor unionstrade associationsalcoholic drinksWashington, D.C.Nathan DealMetro AtlantaHoward CountyMontgomery CountyPrince George's CountyAnne Arundel Countythe City of BaltimoreCharles CountyNew HampshireVermonttime-and-a-halfChristmasMark DaytonEast New JerseySabbathBergen County, New JerseyNew York metropolitan areaParamusGovernorChris ChristieHurricane SandyChapel Hill, North CarolinaDoug BurgumPhiladelphia A'sBert BellGifford PinchotPennsylvanian legislaturePhiladelphia EaglesBraunfeld v. BrownFine Wine & Good SpiritscoyotesAlcohol laws of TennesseeAlcohol laws of UtahGeneral AssemblySupreme Court of VirginiaSeventh-day AdventistsHarold M. JacobsSolomon SharfmanArizona RepublicIndy StarThe Bangor Daily NewsLexisNexisThe Boston GlobeParamus, New JerseyThe New York TimesEstablishment ClauseFirst Amendment to the United States ConstitutionMarsh v. ChambersLynch v. DonnellyBoard of Trustees of Scarsdale v. McCrearyCounty of Allegheny v. American Civil Liberties UnionVan Orden v. PerryMcCreary County v. American Civil Liberties UnionPleasant Grove City v. SummumSalazar v. BuonoTown of Greece v. GallowayAmerican Legion v. American Humanist AssociationWalz v. Tax Comm'n of the City of New YorkBob Jones University v. United StatesEstate of Thornton v. Caldor, Inc.Corp. of Presiding Bishop v. AmosTexas Monthly, Inc. v. BullockCity of Boerne v. FloresCutter v. WilkinsonEverson v. Board of EducationFlast v. CohenLemon v. KurtzmanTilton v. RichardsonCommittee for Public Education v. NyquistValley Forge Christian College v. Americans United for Separation of Church & StateMueller v. AllenAguilar v. FeltonWitters v. Washington Department of Services for the BlindZobrest v. Catalina Foothills School DistrictBoard of Ed. of Kiryas Joel Village School Dist. v. GrumetAgostini v. FeltonMitchell v. HelmsZelman v. Simmons-HarrisLocke v. DaveyArizona Christian Sch. Tuition Org. v. WinnTrinity Lutheran Church v. ComerEspinoza v. Montana Department of RevenueCarson v. MakinOklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. DrummondMcCollum v. Board of EducationZorach v. ClausonEngel v. VitaleAbington School District v. SchemppEpperson v. ArkansasStone v. GrahamWallace v. JaffreeEdwards v. AguillardWestside Community Board of Ed. v. MergensLee v. WeismanSanta Fe Ind. School Dist. v. DoeElk Grove Unif. School Dist. v. NewdowKennedy v. Bremerton School Dist.Lamb's Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School Dist.Capitol Square Review & Advisory Board v. PinetteRosenberger v. Univ. of VirginiaGood News Club v. Milford Central SchoolShurtleff v. City of BostonWatson v. JonesUnited States v. BallardPresbyterian Church v. Hull ChurchSerbian Orthodox Diocese v. MilivojevichHein v. Freedom From Religion FoundationMcGowan v. MarylandTorcaso v. WatkinsMcDaniel v. PatyHarris v. McRaeLarkin v. Grendel's Den, Inc.Bowen v. KendrickTrump v. Hawaii