The effort to allow Tennesseans to buy wine and liquor on Sundays has passed its first committee.
The House State Government Subcommittee approved the measure Wednesday with a unanimous voice vote.
The legislation, HB 1540, would align hours of liquor and wine sales with beer sales.
Current law prohibits wine and liquor to be sold on major holidays and between 11 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. on Monday.
While presenting the legislation, sponsor Rep. Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, said the latest version of the measure arose through significant discussion with multiple interested parties.
The rewritten bill would allow liquor stores to begin opening up on Sundays as soon as July 1. Grocery stores would not begin to be able to sell wine on Sundays until Jan. 1.
The House subcommittee’s passage of the measure is an early indication that the legislation may face significantly less opposition than a previous effort to allow grocery stores to sell wine. That measure, which became law in 2016, was contentious as it made its way through the legislative process.
The latest measure, also sponsored by Sen. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, has yet to be taken up in a Senate committee.
Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.