Sunday Opening Bill Gets Vote - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Sunday Opening Bill Gets Vote

Sunday shopping laws in North Dakota will not change.

An attempt to allow stores to open before Noon Sundays in the state failed in the state legislature today.

Donnell Preskey reports on today's vote.

The ND House has defeated an attempt to allow businesses to be open before noon on Sunday. It was the first attempt to alter the state's blue law since 1992. That's when this body voted to allow businesses to be open on Sundays. Under this proposal local governments would have the power to control earlier Sunday openings.

(Rep. Bette Grande / (R) Fargo) " I just ask for you to consider in that as these employers are pushed to feeling the need to be open during those hours and that Sunday morning really is taking away of family time."

Rep. George Keiser / (R) Bismarck "In 1992 we created Sunday opening, in 1992 some of us were around and we heard all of the same arguments, this is going to ruin the family, this is going to destroy everything, religions are going to suffer."

Rep. Donald Vigassa / (R) Carrington "I think I'm speaking for all of the business people and rural communities, I don't necessarily want Sunday to be that day then that they all leave the rural communities and go to the metro centers, now yes that's going to be family time, but you know what they're going to do there, going to do a lot of shopping that will pull dollars out of the rural communities."

Rep. Thomas Beadle / (R) Fargo "This bill does not require anyone to be open on Sunday, it allows the political subdivision and the political jurisdiction if they have the demand for it, it gives them the option to give the business owners and businesses the option to do it."

The house defeated a similar bill that would allow alcohol to be served or sold at 10 a.m. on Sundays.