Blue laws prohibit retailers from opening before midnight on Black Friday.
Black Friday is starting earlier than ever, as some national retailers have announced they will open the night of Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 22. However, here in Massachusetts, state blue laws prohibit stores from opening until midnight, according to a report by the Boston Globe. Current blue laws prohibit retailers in the state from opening on Thanksgiving, thus preventing them from getting an early start on Black Friday sales, according to the Globe article. Some exceptions are restaurants, health care facilities and gas stations. The laws, instituted in the 17th century, are intended to make sure holidays are properly observed, according to the Boston Globe. Are Massachusetts' blue laws outdated? Should they be eliminated? Tell us …
Massachusetts regulations would have impacted the local brewery in Canton.
Not to worry, beer lovers. Blue Hills Brewery will continue to brew and distribute the local suds in Canton. Earlier this month, the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission proposed enforcing regulations that would have had an adverse effect on local breweries. But just last week, the state reversed their plans. The regulations would have required all local breweries with a farmer's brewery license to grow half of the grains they use in their beer. Up until July 31, the regulation was not enforced, according to Jim O'Neil of the Blue Hills Brewery in Canton. "For someone like Harpoon, it would be impossible," O'Neil noted of the local brew house being able to grow 50% of the grains it uses. "They would need the state of Rhode Island …
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Blue Hills Brewery
1020 Turnpike St, Canton, MA
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GiRRL_Earth
2:27 pm on Tuesday, November 20, 2012
What's with Avon's straw man arguments? Talk about taking this topic off course. :-| more ›