Sen. Roger Reinert (DFL) of Duluth has apparently been a longtime advocate of allowing Sunday liquor sales in Minnesota. On Wednesday he had a little success toward that end, getting the Senate Commerce Committee to approve three of his proposals that are “baby steps” in that direction.

One would allow brewery taprooms to make Sunday sales. The second would allow craft brewers to sell “growlers,” 64-ounce containers of beer, and the third would allow small brewers and brewpubs to refill any growler on a Sunday.

There is no provision for full retail sales of liquor on Sunday in the bill, but Reinert is confident voters will be pushing hard for it. According to the Associated Press, Reinert issued a warning to his colleagues in the House, who are all facing re-election in the fall:

“Constituents are going to demand their representatives take a stance on this,” he said.

Really? We don’t see this as being a hot-button issue, not like medical marijuana, or the Vikings stadium, or the gay marriage law last year. We can’t imagine town meetings or candidate forums where groups of grim faced voters are waiting for their legislative candidates to declare where they stand on Sunday liquor sales.

It may garner a collective “meh” from constituents, but not much more.

— New Ulm Journal, March 27