January 14, 2012

GOV. MALLOY: UPDATING "BLUE LAWS" WILL MAKE CONNECTICUT MORE COMPETITIVE AND BENEFIT CONSUMERS

Proposals to Allow Sunday Sales and Other Changes Bring Connecticut in Line With Neighboring States

(HARTFORD, CT) - In order to help Connecticut stay competitive with neighboring states and give consumers a break, Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced he intends to introduce legislation in the upcoming session to update state laws - some of which date back to Prohibition - regulating the sale of alcohol. The package's most recognizable proposal would allow the sale of alcohol on Sundays, certain holidays, and on Mondays that come after Sunday holidays. Other provisions, which Governor Malloy said are "consumer-friendly," would eliminate minimum pricing to lower costs for consumers.

"These laws are outdated and they artificially increase the price of alcohol to Connecticut consumers," Governor Malloy said. "By allowing Sunday sales, by removing distribution and sale restrictions and by amending permit regulations, we're going to help Connecticut regain its competitive edge in this industry, and we're going to give consumers a break."

Governor Malloy explained that the goal of these statute updates is to keep Connecticut competitive, not only with our neighboring states, but also with the rest of the country. Connecticut and Indiana are the only states in the nation that ban the sale of alcohol on Sundays.

"As the years go by and other states modify their laws to reflect modern-day realities, our statutes have collected dust and it has resulted in consumers shopping in bordering states, causing Connecticut retailers to lose $570 million in sales each year to surrounding states by some industry estimates," Governor Malloy said. "This proposal is pro-consumer, pro-'mom and pop' and pro-dollars being spent within Connecticut."

Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman stated, "A major focus of our administration is to make Connecticut more competitive with other states on many different levels, and this is another way we can do that. We believe it is time to end the long Connecticut tradition of spending money across the border because of antiquated laws that arbitrarily prohibit liquor sales during certain hours and on certain days. That is a tradition that has not only meant inconvenience for our residents, but has meant lost revenue for many of our businesses. It is also time to allow businesses more flexibility to decide if they want to sell these products, and how late they want to keep their doors open to do so."

Details on the proposals can be found in the attached document .

**Attached: Governor Malloy's legislative proposals to update Connecticut liquor laws

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For Immediate Release: January 14, 2012

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