7 Oklahoma Counties Vote to Modernize Their Spirits Laws by Allowing Sunday Sales

Posted on March 7, 2020
By Distillery Trail
In Blog

Distilled Spirits Council - Oklahoma Allows Counties to Choose to Sell Liquor on Sundays

Voting for a Presidential candidate was not the only thing on the ballot in Oklahoma on March 3, 2020. In addition to voting for each political party’s Presidential candidate seven counties in the state were voting to allow the sale of distilled spirits on Sunday.

The state voted to allow convenience stores to sell beer and wine on Sundays in 2017 but distilled spirits were left out. Something that seems a bit unfair for distillers and the stores that sell their products. In October of 2018 a bill supported by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States – DISCUS to allow liquor stores the option to say open on Sunday was approved. Bill SB 211 would allow each county to choose to allow spirits sales on Sunday. This March was the first time without going to the expense of a special election that Oklahomians could put the bill to a vote.

On March 3, seven counties (out of 77) had Sunday sales on the ballet and all seven overwhelmingly approved the sale of distilled spirits on Sundays, expanding access and consumer convenience in the state.

“Expanding Sunday sales in Oklahoma is a great step forward in modernizing the state’s alcohol laws,” said DISCUS Vice President of State Government Relations Dale Szyndrowski. “Sunday sales increase consumer convenience and provide more opportunities and flexibility for businesses.”

Distilled Spirits Council - Seven Counties in Oklahoma Vote to Allow Sunday Liquor Sales

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The counties include Oklahoma, home to the states capital and the most populous county in the state along with Cleveland, Kingfisher, Creek, Muskogee, Washington and Tulsa. In Oklahoma County, nearly 71 percent of voters voted in favor of allowing the Sunday sale of spirits.

“Sunday is the second busiest shopping day of the week, but the ban on the sale of distilled spirits on Sundays forces business owners to close their doors to increased consumer traffic,” said Szyndrowski.