Tennessee Passes Legislation for Sunday Liquor Sales

Governor set to sign bill to allow wine and liquor sales on Sundays and select holidays.

April 27, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee General Assembly approved legislation allowing wine sales on Sunday and most holidays. Two days after the House approved the bill in a vote of 55-35, the Senate voted 17-11 in favor of the measure and Gov. Bill Haslam announced he would sign it into law.

Current law prohibits wine and liquor to be sold between 11:00 pm on Saturday and 8:00 am on Monday and on major holidays. Back in 2014, the state passed legislation to allow wine sales in grocery stores. But liquor stores have since argued that the government should not dictate when they can sell their product.

The new legislation allows liquor stores to open on Sundays but still prohibits the sale of wine on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. It’s a solid compromise. But opponents voiced their concern that the law would force small business owners to open seven days a week.

Once the bill is officially signed into law, liquor stores can open seven days a week. But wine sales in grocery stores on Sundays and holidays wouldn’t start until January 1. In a statement, the Distilled Spirits Council said the new law will lead to millions of dollars in additional revenue for retail stores—potentially producing as much as $5 million in new state and local taxes.

The news comes after Indiana legalized Sunday liquor sales and Pennsylvania shifts to privatized liquor sales. 

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