Texas Blue Laws - what they were (Salado, Rule: sales, home) - City-Data Forum

momof2dfw · 12-08-2006, 09:22 AM

Since this came up on another thread and some newbies were wondering what it was I thought I would get some info on it for you to know what all of us natives were referring to. Here is an article that told about the repel of the Blue Laws. Also, check out this site, it describes more in detail how Blue Laws have been in all of the United States. So it was not just Texas that instituted Blue Laws. Looks like one county in NJ still has one of the most restrictive Blue Laws around.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_law
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24-Year Texas Blue Law Ends; Rule on Seat Belts In Force

AP
Published: September 3, 1985

deeptrance · 12-08-2006, 05:52 PM

I first learned about "blue laws" when I moved from California to Massechusetts. I was amazed by all the restrictions on when you could do what. California is pretty unrestricted, you can buy hard liquor at the same store where you get your broccoli and pretzels and you can do it on any day of the week, although I do think they have a ban on sales of alcohol between 2 AM and some later AM time, not sure what it is but it's pretty loose.

MA had, when I lived there in 1980-82, laws prohibiting almost ALL shopping on Sundays. Presumably we were all supposed to be observing the Sabbath, which is an ironic gesture on the part of a state that is supposedly very progressive. Some liberals I knew, including my radical-leftist-feminist-neo-marxist girlfriend, defended the law as a way to protect Labor from having to work on Sundays. Huh? I don't see the logic in prohibiting someone from working on a day when they might WANT to work, how does that empower laborers? Oh well, I never could understand some of the inner workings of the northeastern social-conservative-leftist mind. Many of them equate "libertarian" with "conservative" --- As an anarchistic quasi-socialist, I respectfully disagree.

Texas has some state laws, like the bizarre rules around selling liquor. First, you have to do it between certain hours (I think it's 11 AM to 9 PM) and not on Sundays. Second, counties can ban it, they're called "dry counties" and some of them are so strict that you can't even buy a beer except in bars. Odd, that forces alcoholics onto the road to get home after they get hammered. But nobody ever accused Texans of being the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree.

And then there's the law that you can't sell normal stuff in a liquor store, only mixers and cigarettes. The supposed "logic" behind this is that it prevents minors from trying to enter a liquor store to buy, say, chips or candy. HUH?????? Obviously this is so blatantly irrational that there's only one real answer as to why our laws are so stupid: lobbying by the various industries that are protecting their turf. Convenience stores don't want competition from liquor stores. And the same type of rationale holds true for all the other arbitrary rules --- it's all about lobbying, who has the money and the connections to make the rules.

momof2dfw · 12-09-2006, 09:27 AM

Well, at least we can now order wines from out of state and have them shipped directly to us.

The whole "dry" county thing is even wierder than what you described, it also follows judicial lines. So people in one city can vote for a neighborhing city to be "wet". It all depends on where the lines are. It's a crazy deal. One area city that just about 2-3 years ago became "wet" for beer/wine sales is in two different counties. The city as a whole voted to approve the sale of beer & wine. But the smallest side of the city in one county got to vote on liquor sales because someone pushed for it to be voted on in that area (lobbyists). Sad thing is the city neighboring them that pushed for this was not going to allow it in THEIR city. LOL!!!

While looking up the article I posted I saw where still one county in NJ has some of the strictest Blue Laws around still to this day. And they say were "backwards". LOL!!!

deeptrance · 12-09-2006, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

Well, at least we can now order wines from out of state and have them shipped directly to us.

REALLY??? That's great news, it was such a stupid law that prevented a lot of legitimate commerce under the pretense of "protecting minors from buying alcohol" as if they can't get it easily already....

Quote:

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

The whole "dry" county thing is even wierder than what you described, it also follows judicial lines. So people in one city can vote for a neighborhing city to be "wet".

Wow... Texas is, umm... unique. Yeah, that's it, unique....

Davidwhocares · 02-24-2009, 10:58 AM

Texas Blue Laws are really not an issue with the christian right wing nuts. It's all a matter of who has the biggest special interest group with the most money who can buy the largest number of legislators. Rememer the Golden Rule - "He who has the gold, rules"

Synopsis · 02-24-2009, 01:41 PM

My wife and daughter are temporarily staying in Hackensack, NJ. They tell me that NOTHING is open on Sundays, save a convenience store or two. And this is right across the river from NYC!

momof2dfw · 02-24-2009, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Synopsis

My wife and daughter are temporarily staying in Hackensack, NJ. They tell me that NOTHING is open on Sundays, save a convenience store or two. And this is right across the river from NYC!

You think that is bad.......... look at the liquor laws.

State stores and all. NO WAY!

And they say WE ARE BACKWARDS!

SaladoSam · 02-24-2009, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Texas has some state laws, like the bizarre rules around selling liquor. First, you have to do it between certain hours (I think it's 11 AM to 9 PM) and not on Sundays. Second, counties can ban it, they're called "dry counties" and some of them are so strict that you can't even buy a beer except in bars. Odd, that forces alcoholics onto the road to get home after they get hammered. But nobody ever accused Texans of being the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree.

I'm often amused by those who complain about Texas being a conservative state. But those conservative laws, such as the Blue Laws and the law struck down by SCOTUS in Lawrence vs Texas, were written, implemented and supported by the Democrats that had run the state since... well, who knows the hell when.

TexasHorseLady · 02-24-2009, 02:12 PM

That would be 1872, up until 1964, I believe it was.

tstone · 02-24-2009, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaladoSam

I'm often amused by those who complain about Texas being a conservative state. But those conservative laws, such as the Blue Laws and the law struck down by SCOTUS in Lawrence vs Texas, were written, implemented and supported by the Democrats that had run the state since... well, who knows the hell when.

Democrats... Southern Democrats... The conservative party that had offshoots such as the White League and the KKK... The Southern Democrats being the precursor party to the Republicans after 1964, but not necessarily Republicans of today. There doesn't seem to be anything liberal about these particular Democrats.