It was a bit of shenanigans, but all things considered that seems entirely fitting.
The Texas House voted Thursday to extend beer and wine sales on Sundays and to let craft breweries to sell beer to go.
Those new expansions of alcohol sales were amendments to a broader bill regarding the efficiency and operations of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission that must pass this legislative session in order to avoid shutting down the agency.
Both amendments were opposed by the bill’s author, state Rep. Chris Paddie, R-Marshall. Paddie still cast a vote for the legislation, which received preliminary passage along a 135-0 vote, though he noted that the bill was no longer “completely clean.”
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The two amendments proposed by state Reps. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, and Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin, consumed most of the debate Thursday. Springer’s amendment would allow beer and wine sales to begin at 10 a.m. instead of noon on Sundays in licensed retailers such as convenience and grocery stores. It passed in a 99-40 vote. In laying out his amendment, Springer said his motion would put wine and beer sales in line with what’s currently allowed at on-premise consumption locations, such as restaurants and bars.
“We allow country clubs to sell mimosas at 10 a.m.,” Springer said during the debate on the House floor.
He also said his proposal won’t affect liquor stores, which aren’t allowed to operate on Sundays.
The passage of Springer’s amendment was met with a chipper response from state Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, who exclaimed upon its passage: “This is freedom. This is eagles!”
The House narrowly approved Rodriguez’s amendment allowing craft breweries to sell beer to go — something that’s already legal in every other state, the representative said Thursday evening.
Here’s HB1545, which is now on its way to the Senate. Because this was supposed to be just a sunset bill, there’s a very good chance both of these amendments will be removed from the bill in the upper chamber. But who knows, maybe the time has come. I wouldn’t bet on it, but crazier things have happened.
All this is just a piecemeal waste of everyone’s time and a waste of ink, really. All that needs to be done is to repeal most of the current liquor laws, except those that prohibit sale and possession of alcohol by minors. Liquor store and every other purveyor of alcohol should be able to be open 24/7 if they want to be. I mean, has anyone looked at Harris County lately? All these byzantine liquor laws aren’t preventing any drunk driving, public intoxication, or other alcohol related crimes now, are they?