Indiana C-Stores Push for Alcohol Reform

The “Chill Indiana” campaign asks legislators to allow convenience stores to sell cold beer.

June 07, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana convenience stores have launched a campaign to convince legislators to allow their locations to stock cold beer, WBAA-AM News reports. In April, lawmakers closed a loophole that had allowed Ricker’s to sell cold beer. This summer, legislators will look into the state’s alcohol laws.

The Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association funded “Chill Indiana” as part of its strategy to change the state’s liquor laws. “The convenience store industry sees thousands of customers and so we have the audience and we will certainly use those stores to reach that audience,” said executive director Scot Imus.

A poll released by the association found that 71% of Hoosiers supported allowing c-stores to carry cold beer. In addition, 65% think carryout sales of alcohol should be permissible on Sundays, FOX59 reports.

The Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers opposes expanding cold beer sales to convenience stores. “Deregulation is not the answer to this problem,” said John Sinder, vice chairman of the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers. “As we’ve seen across the state, alcoholism and other types of addictions have [gotten] this state into real trouble.”

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