LITTLE ROCK, Ark., March 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Diageo, the world's leading spirits, wine and beer company, and industry leader, applauds Governor Mike Beebe and the state legislature for joining the national trend of modernizing Blue Laws. With Governor Beebe's signature today, Arkansas became the 14th state since 2002 to erase its Sunday sales ban.
Senate Bill 121, sponsored by Senator Robert Thompson and signed by Governor Beebe, gives communities the option to vote on allowing package stores to open on Sundays. The new law also allows restaurants and other on premise establishments to serve alcohol on Sundays between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 midnight -- an extension of up to four more hours.
"Diageo applauds Arkansas Governor Beebe and the state legislature for choosing to increase revenue without increasing taxes," said Barry Becton, Senior Director of State Government Relations, Diageo North America. "Sunday sales will not only be more convenient for shoppers, they will also help increase revenue for the state during the down economy."
According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), only 14 states continue to have Prohibition-era Sunday sales bans. They are: Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.
About Diageo
Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.
Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.
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