Indiana convenience stores’ bid to win the right to sell cold beer took another blow Monday when a federal appeals court ruled against them.
Only liquor stores are allowed to sell cold beer for carryout under Indiana law. The Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, or IPCA, filed suit in 2013 seeking to invalidate that law. A federal judge last year ruled against the group.
A three-judge panel at the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Monday rebuffed the convenience stores. The court notes IPCA make several policy arguments – for instance, that they’re allowed to sell chilled beverages with higher alcohol content, such as wine coolers, and that grocery and convenience stores have a better compliance record with the state’s alcohol laws than liquor stores.
But the unanimous decision from the appeals court says those arguments are for the Indiana General Assembly, not the judicial branch. The IPCA, which could not be reached for comment, can appeal the ruling to either the full 7th Circuit or to the U-S Supreme Court.
The Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers, not a party in the lawsuit, applauded the decision, with President and CEO Patrick Tamm saying in a statement the organization is "pleased that the court has recognized that Indiana’s package stores, must operate under restrictive guidelines and legislatively mandated business models. The package store industry is a product of a legislature that enacted sound public policy in restricting alcohol sales.”