Brown Votes to Keep Business Regulations in Place

During the 2008 campaign, now-Sen. Dave Brown (R-Becker) was fond of claiming that he would slash government regulation and expand the free market. His campaign website still claims, "I will give leadership to reduced government red-tape and excessive regulations that repress the growth of our businesses."

Yet, faced with an actual regulation that he liked, Sen. Brown voted Wednesday in the Commerce Committee against repealing Minnesota's prohibition of Sunday liquor sales. The bill would not force stores to be open on the 7th day, but simply give owners that option. With all four border states offering liquor sales on Sunday, Minnesota is doubtlessly losing business to the neighbor; nearby store-owners should be allowed to compete.

Not only would this have led to a freer marketplace for consumers and business owners, it would have raised revenues for the depleted state coffers: at least $500,000 (per the official analysis) but perhaps upwards of several million.

Still waiting for word on Sen. Brown's reasoning, but it clearly isn't based on the free marketplace or the health of the state budget.

Update: FWIW, Sen. Brown says he voted with what he heard from SD16 liquor stores. Presumably they don't want competition from other stores--closer to the border--to force them to stay open on Sundays. That's already the reality for border-area stores, though, and Minnesota as a whole loses out.

The question really is: would we rather add that competitive element to the liquor market or cut even deeper into local government aid, higher education and other state programs?