Sunday Liquor Sales Bill Signed Into Law [VIDEO]

Connecticut's archaic "Blue Laws" prohibiting liquor stores from opening on Sundays ended Thursday, with the that allows those retailers the opportunity to open seven days a week if they so choose.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed the bill into law during a ceremony held in the Enfield Town Hall council chambers. Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, state Sen. John Kissel, Rep. Kathy Tallarita and Rep. David Kiner were among several people to attend the ceremony.

The bill allows liquor permittees to sell alcohol from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, as well as on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day, and on Mondays following a Christmas or New Year's Day holiday that falls on a Sunday. 

"I'm sure what will be said is that this is about Sundays, but it's more than that. It is literally about our ability to compete with states that have been taking money away from us on an ongoing basis," Malloy said.

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"When the product is less expensive and more convenient to purchase in surrounding states, you lose $570 million worth of sales. That's what we know, and what we also know is when you're paying electricity bills and other bills to keep a product refrigerated, and you have to pull down a cover over it and can't sell it, it's effectively costing you money and raising the price on that product at the same time," the governor said.

Tallarita, who worked tirelessly to get the bill enacted into law, thanked Malloy for "putting forth his historic and bold proposal in order to bring Connecticut back into the 21st century and make us more competitive with our surrounding states, and allow consumers  to have the convenience of shopping when they have the time to shop and want to shop, and to allow businesses both big and small to run their businesses as they so choose."

Connecticut retailers may sell alcohol on Sundays beginning this Sunday, May 20. Indiana is now the lone state that prohibits Sunday alcohol sales.