The survey of
In response to the poll numbers,
"The majority of liquor store owners, like Texas voters, are
overwhelmingly opposed to opening on Sundays for several important
reasons.
Customers aren't asking for longer store hours. Those polled strongly
feel that shopping for liquor is already convenient enough. So owners
would face increased overhead that could devastate their bottom lines,
even though their customers feel well-served by the stores in their
communities and by the system as it stands.
And most importantly, DWI fatalities on Sundays reportedly increased
'sharply' after Sunday liquor sales were approved in New Mexico. Since
Texas is currently third in the nation for alcohol-related highway
fatalities, it's no surprise that legislation with this track record
faces sharp opposition.
The Sunday sales legislation is being pushed by out-of-state liquor
distillers who, simply put, want Texans to drink more liquor. Their
legislation is overwhelmingly opposed both by Texas voters and local
Texas businesses, and is a bad idea all the way around."
According to the poll, eighty-one percent of all
When informed that
After hearing more about the issue, 67 percent of voters oppose (58 percent strongly oppose) allowing liquor stores to be open on Sundays, compared to 29 percent who favor the idea. Seventy-eight percent of Republicans, 63 percent of Democrats and 62 percent of Independents oppose allowing Sunday sales of liquor in
Several bills that aim to allow the Sunday sales of liquor have been filed.
A release of this survey is attached.
Summary of Texas Statewide Voter Survey
Regarding the Liquor Sales on Sundays
The following results are from a telephone survey of N=801 randomly
selected registered voters in the state of Texas. This survey was
conducted February 24-26, 2009. The margin of error to the results of this
survey is +/- 3.5% at the .95 test level.
From the outset of the survey, a majority of voters oppose allowing liquor
stores to be open on Sundays. A majority of Republican voters (59%), and
nearly half of Democrats and Independents (49% each) oppose the retail
sale of hard liquor by liquor stores on Sundays.
Version X: Do you favor or oppose allowing liquor stores to be open on
Sundays?
Version Y: Do you favor or oppose the retail sale of hard liquor by
liquor stores on Sundays?
n=398 n=401 N=801
Ver X Ver Y Total
29% 32% 30% Favor
54% 52% 53% Oppose
10% 10% 10% Depends / other
6% 6% 6% Unsure / refused
[Note: There is no statistical difference in the results to the question
split sampled above]
Opposition to the sale of alcohol in liquor stores on Sundays increases
based on specific information. Included in this assessment are the
following:
Current liquor store hours of 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through
Saturday, already provide enough time and convenience to shop for
liquor.
81% Agree 17% Disagree 2% Depends / Neutral / Unsure
The retail sales of liquor during the other six days a week make
buying liquor convenient enough.
78% Agree 20% Disagree 2% Depends / Neutral / Unsure
For religious and moral reasons, liquor stores should remain closed on
Sundays.
61% Agree 36% Disagree 3% Depends / Neutral / Unsure
Would you favor or oppose liquor stores being open on Sundays if you
knew that New Mexico recently experienced an increase in drunk driving
highway fatalities when they passed a law allowing liquor stores to be
open on Sundays.
17% Favor 74% Oppose 9% No difference / Unsure
After hearing more about it, 67% of Texas voters oppose (58% strongly)
allowing liquor stores to be open on Sundays compared to 29% who favor the
idea. Informed opposition is 78% among Republicans, 63% among Democrats,
and 62% among Independents. In addition, 54% of respondents who have
purchased alcohol in the last three months, and 81% of respondents who
have not, oppose Sunday sales after hearing the informative statements.
Having heard more about it...
Version X: Do you favor or oppose allowing liquor stores to be open on
Sundays?
Version Y: Do you favor or oppose the retail sale of hard liquor by
liquor stores on Sundays?
Ver X Ver Y Total
28% 30% 29% Favor
69% 65% 67% Oppose
2% 3% 2% Depends / other
1% 2% 2% Unsure / refused
A similar question was asked earlier in the survey regarding a specific
region of the state, and five out of eight voters (63%) oppose allowing
liquor stores in just the fourteen Texas counties that border Mexico to
be open on Sundays.
Do you favor or oppose allowing liquor stores in just the fourteen
Texas counties that border Mexico to be open on Sundays?
21% Favor
63% Oppose
7% Depends / other
9% Unsure / refused
SOURCE Baselice and Associates
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