Alcohol laws poised for change

Bills regarding the sale of beer, wine and alcohol on Sundays and Daylight Saving Time are making their way through the Texas Legislature. 

A much-publicized move to legalize the sale of beer and wine on Sunday mornings gained the approval of the Texas House. House Bill 1545 was crafted by Rep. Chris Paddie (R-Marshall) to continue the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and adopt reforms. An amendment to the bill by Rep. Drew Springer (R-Muenster) would allow the sale of beer and wine to begin at 10 a.m. on Sundays instead of noon. The amendment, though opposed by Paddie, passed in the House 99-40. Another amendment to the bill, proposed by Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin), would allow craft breweries to sell beer to go. That amendment was narrowly approved. 

The bill passed in the House 137-1 and is on its way to the Senate, according to the Texas Legislature website. 

Another bill currently pending in a Senate committee would allow liquor stores to choose to open on Sundays. Senate Bill 785, authored by Sen. Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas), would allow liquor stores to open from noon to 9 p.m. on Sundays and require them to close on another day of the week.

In the statement of intent for the bill, Johnson stated, “Texas is losing state sales tax revenue by suppressing sales on one segment of the alcoholic beverage industry. In January 2013 the Legislative Budget Board estimated that repealing the Sunday liquor sales restrictions would generate $8.5 million in tax revenue in 2014-2015. … S.B. 785 would allow liquor stores to choose which day of the week they close. The bill would allow a liquor store to open on Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. but they would have to close another day of the week. This compromise ensures that smaller liquor stores, which have objected to being open seven days a week, will not be subject to any additional competitive pressures.”

SB 785 had a public hearing in the Senate Business and Commerce Committee on April 23 and remains pending.

Meanwhile, the house has supported a bill regarding Daylight Saving Time. HB 3784, authored by Rep. Lyle Larson (R-San Antonio), would eliminate the “spring forward” and “fall back” time changes that most of the country observes. HB 3784 calls for a statewide referendum to let voters decide whether they would like to observe standard time year round or daylight saving time year round. The bill passed out of the House Committee on State Affairs by 11-1 and passed in the House itself 118-11. 

The bill would enable House Joint Resolution 117, which would create a constitutional amendment authorizing the referendum. The joint resolution passed out of the House Committee on State Affairs with a vote of 11-1 and out of the House by a vote of 133-9.

As of Thursday, according to the Texas Legislature website, both measures still need to be voted on by a Senate committee and by the whole Senate.