By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Liquor sales on Sundays will be allowed in Hays starting no later than April 8, 2017, unless a petition is filed requiring a public election about the issue.

Hays city commissioners unanimously approved the ordinance Thursday evening with no public comment.

A similar ordinance was approved in 2005 and then overturned in an election by Hays voters.

Commissioner Lance Jones, who brought the issue to the table this time, noted he “thought it’d be a kind of controversial issue but so far I still haven’t received any emails or phone calls in support or against this item.

“It’s just something we ought to do, just getting rid of some regulation that shouldn’t have been there to start with.”

Jones pointed out “there will be a fiscal note to this,” although he acknowledged it may not be that much. He supported 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.

The sale of cereal malt beverages and alcoholic liquor in the original package will be allowed Sundays in Hays–except Easter Sunday–from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., the same Sunday hours as allowed by Kansas law since 2005. Such sales are allowed 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. the other days of the week.

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