Freedom is supposed to be the hallmark of the United States, and yet, some laws still exist that place moral and religious restrictions on the entire populace, regardless of each citizen’s personal beliefs.

They’re called blue laws, and they exist in many states, with most prohibiting business operations or sales of some items on Sundays ”“ the Christian holy day ”“ or enforcing moral code type of restrictions.

Maine’s blue laws pop up in a variety of places: One prohibits the sale of motor vehicles on Sundays ”“ car lots cannot even be open on Sundays, in fact. Another prohibits stores with more than 5,000 square feet from being open on Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter. Yet another blue law restricts the sale of alcohol before 6 a.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. on Sundays.

The laws used to be even more strict, with Sunday shopping once forbidden entirely, for example, and it was only in 1995 that the Legislature decided to allow people to order alcohol at restaurants beginning at 9 a.m. instead of noon.

Now legislators are set to consider a couple of bills that would further relax the state’s liquor restrictions. Rep. Paul Gilbert has proposed pushing back the time for liquor sales to 5 a.m. every day. He’s putting it forth as a fairness issue for those who work third shift and may want to purchase alcohol after they get out of work. Associations representing the stores that sell liquor are behind the change, of course, as it opens up their window for doing business.

Another bill has been proposed by Rep. Barry Hobbins, D-Saco, to extend the hours when liquor can be purchased ”“ only for the St. Patrick’s Day holiday when it falls on a Sunday. If Gilbert’s bill passes, Hobbins’ won’t be necessary, and we hope that is the case, as it seems to make more sense to have a blanket policy rather than a bunch of laws that address only special circumstances.

It’s hard to find an argument in favor of retaining the restriction on the times that alcohol can be sold. Those who would overimbibe and be moved to commit crimes are generally drunk before midnight, or at least have all their liquor in hand, so it doesn’t seem that having a ban in place between midnight and 6 a.m. helps to prevent crime.

No, it’s clear that the restriction on liquor sales is a vestige of a time when those in power sought to impose their beliefs on others through the law. Rather than have a legal restriction on certain business activities, business owners and employees should be able to work out their own scheduling based on their beliefs. Nothing prohibits an observant religious person from taking their respective holy day off from work, and it’s important to note that Sunday is not the recognized holy day for all religions, despite what Maine law sets forth.

A free adult citizen should be able to legally purchase alcohol whenever they please, and we believe Rep. Gilbert’s bill is a good step in the direction of abolishing blue laws and adhering to our nation’s identity as a place where religious and personal freedom thrives.

Ӣ Ӣ Ӣ

Today’s editorial was written by Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Kristen by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.