At long last, it looks as if the Blue Laws that forbid us to have a Bloody Mary before noon on Sunday could go bye bye. A recent resolution introduced by Erie County Legislator Patrick B. Burke, has passed at the Erie County Legislature level. That means that Buffalo bars and restaurants might soon benefit thanks to the eradication of the dated regulation. Whether partying before a Bills game, or enjoying a cocktail at Trattoria Aroma brunch, the prohibition era regulation puts a damper on those who want to enjoy their Sunday off from work.
In order to jumpstart the process, Burke introduced the “mimosa resolution”, which will now go in front of New York State Lawmakers. “We need to stop treating adults like children,” said Burke. “If a law abiding citizen chooses to have a drink on Sunday, then they should be within their right to do so.”
Burke began to consider eradicating the Blue Law when he set forth to research the earlier closing time of bars in his districts. “Rolling back the closing times in local bars has been a hot topic of discussion lately with some making the argument that earlier bar closings could save lives,” Burke was quoted saying in a recent online statement. “That seemed to be a reasonable position but when I looked further into the matter, I found no evidence that earlier bar closings saves lives or improves public safety. What is often the case with earlier bar closings is that people begin to binge drink near closing time and are then released out into the public, which creates a more hazardous situation. Also in my research, I came across another component of alcohol related regulation that I found interesting and think is long overdue for a change.
“I introduced the “mimosa resolution” which aims to repeal the current state legislation that prohibits the sale of alcohol before noon on Sundays. The current restriction is what is known as a Blue Law. Blue Laws were restrictions created for religious purposes. In a country that is committed to the separation of church and state, these laws need to change. We cannot expect the government to value one person’s religion over another. A Christian should not be legally bound to observe the practices of other religions and vice versa.”