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Mississippi town repeals "blue law" banning alcohol sales on Sunday

MISSISSIPPI - Students and members of the community at Mississippi State University, in Starkville, were permitted to purchase alcohol on a Sunday after the passing of a new city ordinance.

Starksville, Mississippi used to be "dry" on Sundays. This means that restaurants and bars were forced to close on one of the nation's biggest drinking days. Now, those same restaurants and bars have registered record sales for the first Sunday since an ordinance against prohibition passed.

Some restaurants opened only limited locations for the first week. The tests have produced a resoundingly positive response, meaning even more restaurants and bars will be serving liquor next Sunday.

The Mississippi town is populated by many churchgoers on Sunday. Restaurant owners feared they may offend the conservative base who feel that no alcohol should be served on that day of the week. However, initial reports show this was not a problem. Restaurant owners say there was largely a mix of post-church crowds and pre-football crowds enjoying breakfast and lunch.

While many restaurants are enjoying the new privilege, there are others who will opt to remain closed on Sunday all together. It is not uncommon for stores and eateries in the "Bible belt" states to close Sundays, when many patrons feel time is best spent with family and community.

Despite these few outliers, next Sunday, grocery stores and liquor stores will also be allowed to sell alcohol. They were previously prevented from doing this, and these outlets did not participate in the first week of Sunday alcohol sales.

Prohibition on Sundays would be classified as a "blue law." A blue law is intended to carry over some type of religious observance into a secular area. The laws were mostly used to prevent shopping on Sunday, and they have generally been repealed due to a question of constitutionality.

However, bans on Sunday alcohol sales have remained popular. The fall of these laws marks a significant break from conservative influences. It will be interesting to observe whether an increase of DUI activity on Sundays leads to a charge in the opposite direction.