🎥 City commission to vote on allowing Sunday liquor sales in Hays

Hays City Commissioner Lance Jones raises the issue of Sunday liquor sales during the Jan. 5 work session.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Hays city commissioners are scheduled to vote Thursday on an ordinance allowing Sunday liquor sales within the city limits.

Commissioner Lance Jones brought up the issue in December. He supports the change as a way to help bring in more money to the city’s general fund, which is financed solely by the city sales tax.

Commissioners discussed the idea during their Jan. 5 work session. James Meier and Henry Schwaller both said they support Sunday liquor sales.

The ordinance, if approved, is subject to a petition and being overturned by an election as Hays voters did in 2005, after the Kansas legislature passed a statute the same year allowing cities to approve Sunday liquor sales.

“I’m in support of it,” Schwaller said. “I was when we considered it and passed it the first time.”

There were three groups speaking against the issue 12 years ago and Schwaller expects the same input this time around.

“The liquor store owners will not want to be open another day of the week. They find it inconvenient. Another group believes for religious reasons that it’s inappropriate to consume alcohol.

“The third group, that I received the most calls from (in 2005), were in 12-step (recovery) programs who said ‘if people want it, they’re going to get it anyway, so don’t allow it,'” Schwaller recalled, adding that he “didn’t understand their argument then and I don’t understand it now. I do understand why the others said they didn’t want to do it.

“But as I offered to the liquor stores then, they didn’t need to be open. If they wanted a day off, they didn’t have to be open on Sunday. They could opt in or opt out. And, folks for religious reasons could abstain.

“Nevertheless, I’m in favor of it,” Schwaller concluded.

“I don’t have a problem with it,” Vice-Mayor Meier concurred. “It’s perfectly legal. I don’t understand why it shouldn’t be legal seven days a week instead of six.”

Sunday liquor sales are allowed in incorporated areas of Ellis County, including Ellis and Victoria.

Tomorrow will be the first meeting for newly-appointed Hays City Commissioner Sandy Jacobs. She will be sworn into office by City Clerk Brenda Kitchen followed by the annual reorganization of the governing body.

For a look at the complete Jan. 26 meeting agenda click here.