Minnesotans may soon be able to have their liquor and buy it, too — on Sundays.

Sen. Roger Reinert, DFL-Duluth, introduced a bill yesterday that would repeal Minnesota’s laws prohibiting the sale of liquor on Sundays. Local liquor store owners and managers, however, say they do not support the legislation.

Sheri Kokot, manager of Bell Liquor Store, said the extra business day probably wouldn’t benefit smaller businesses the same way it might benefit Metro area liquor stores.

“I think most liquor stores would rather not have it,” Kokot said. “You have to be open one more day, so you don’t really get a day off, and it would diminish the sales on Saturday because if that’s somebody’s pleasure they buy it on Saturday for Sunday.”

Dave Olson, owner of Apollo Liquor & Superette, agreed with Kokot. He said the bill could be the beginning of a slippery slope.

“If we are allowed to be open on Sundays, next thing you know they’ll want us to stay open until midnight or 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Olson said.

Olson projected his store would have about the same amount of weekend sales as it currently does, only it would be stretched over a longer period of time. Paying employees an extra day, along with paying for electricity and other costs, would not outweigh the potential benefits, he said.

According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), 3.1 percent of Wisconsin’s taxed liquor sales can be attributed to Minnesotans crossing the border on Sunday to buy booze. DISCUS also found the extra business day could generate up to $10.6 million in tax revenue for the state.

Stephen Echert, owner of Austin Liquor Store Drive Inn, said the gas money Minnesotans are spending to drive across the border balances out the loss in liquor tax revenue.

“They’re buying gas in Minnesota to drive to Wisconsin, aren’t they?” he said. “So that offsets that. And if gas prices are going up, they’re not going to be driving over to Wisconsin to pick up (on Sunday).”

However, Echert said he opposes the bill.

“I would not go for it,” he said. “It would be extra money out of my pocket.”

Rep. Jeanne Poppe, DFL-Austin, said the bill is one option the Senate is considering as a way of closing the deficit gap, but it’s not on the priority list.

Increased operating costs play a factor for liquor stores, she said.

“If you’re going to be open another whole day, they’re going to have increased costs related to employees and things like that where that might not necessarily offset the increase in revenue,” Poppe said.

Poppe isn’t sure whether she would support a similar bill in the House.

“I just don’t think it’s high on the priority list right now,” she said. “It does come up because people are trying to raise revenue in different ways.”

Local liquor store owners want the Legislature to keep looking for ways to raise revenue and leave their hours alone.

“There’s better ways to get (the tax revenue) back,” Olson said. “I think it’s a taxing problem — not a sales and operations problem.”