(U-WIRE) STORRS, Conn. – In the 1600s, Connecticut became the first state to enact “blue laws”—religiously inspired laws designed to curb perceived immoral behavior amongst the populace. Although many of these ludicrous statutes, including bans on dice games, card playing and fornication, have since been repealed, one of these bothersome laws still remains in full effect nearly 400 years later—the prohibition of alcohol sales on Sundays.
Like virtually all of the other blue laws, the ban on Sunday alcohol sales is nothing less than an unjust restriction on personal liberty. Accordingly, it is imperative the state legislature treat this particular unjust blue law just like the others and repeal it.
All blue laws are inherently flawed, unconstitutional statutes, as they unjustly impose subjective religious standards onto the general population. Connecticut’s restriction on alcohol sales is no different, as it places the Christian ideal of temperance (on the Sabbath) above individual liberties. This marks a clear violation of the separation of church and state prescribed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as the state of Connecticut is literally forcing Puritan ideals on its residents. This sad reality, taken alone, is complete justification for repealing this ban.
However, the fact that the ban on Sunday liquor sales is inherently unconstitutional is not the only reason to repeal this law, as the restrictive statute also costs the state millions of dollars in tax revenue. Every Sunday, the state loses precious tax dollars to surrounding Northeastern states, all of which have legalized Sunday alcohol sales within the past few years. According to a study by Dr. Charles W. de Seve, the president of the American Economics Group Inc., the state could generate an additional $13.3 million dollars each year by legalizing and taxing Sunday alcohol sales. These valuable tax dollars, currently being given to other states, could then be applied to infrastructure, education and a host of other state concerns.
The Connecticut legislature needs to realize that the ban on Sunday alcohol sales is wholly unconstitutional, and that it has had a deleterious effect on personal liberty simultaneously costing the state millions of dollars in tax revenue. Accordingly, the state government should repeal this foolish law and finally grant the states’ residents the freedoms they deserve…
Like New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Connecticut is too blue of a state to continue to enforce this unquestionably religious blue law.
Leave a Reply