North Dakota becomes nation’s last state to end Blue Law
By Betsy Ryan
Farmer Staff Writer
With his signature, Gov. Doug Burgum brought about the extinction of the Blue Law in the United States. The last state to hold on to the law restricting retail in North Dakota from midnight until noon on Sunday mornings, the repeal, House Bill 1097, passed in the Senate 25-21 after its 56-35 passage in the House last January.
Gov. Burgum agreed that a repeal was the right move when he said, “Repealing this Sunday morning shopping restriction will allow our Main Street businesses to compete on a more level playing field with online retailers and bordering states.”
While Watford City retailers agree that they should have the option to open on a Sunday morning, most do not anticipate changing their hours in the near future.
“As an owner of two businesses on Main Street in Watford City, our hours will not change at this time,” said Beth Veeder, owner of Meyer’s Department Store and Door 204. “I do appreciate having the choice, however, and think the change is positive for both retailers and customers.”
Both Veeder and Debbie Larsen, owner of Larsen Service Drug, cited a staffing shortage as a major reason that they will not change their hours of operation at this time.
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