The prohibition on buying beer and wine before noon on Sundays is one of the dumbest and most embarrassing laws still on the books in Texas. It dates back to 1935 when the legislature passed the Texas Liquor Control Act in response to the repeal of prohibition.
Senate Bill 585 would allow retailers like grocery and convenience stores to sell beer and wine starting at 10 a.m. on Sundays instead of noon.
This bill does not affect the prohibition-era ban on the sale of liquor on Sundays.
SB 585′s author Republican State Sen. Drew Springer says it’s time to modernize Texas’ alcohol laws.
“Another bill, House Bill 937, was introduced during the 87th legislative session by Texas Representative Richard Raymond in February and that bill would allow Texans to purchase liquor 7 days a week.
Most Texans are aware that the Texas alcoholic beverage code prohibits the sale of liquor on Sundays - a rule that dates back to 1935 when, according to the Dallas Morning News, the Texas Legislature passed the Texas Liquor Control Act in response to the repeal of Prohibition.
The majority of these “blue laws,” as they are sometimes referred to, were abolished in 1985. These laws limited the sale of certain goods on Sundays but both liquor and car sales are still not allowed on Sundays, according to the Texas Tribune.”