Legislature should consider liquor change

A popular saying among jurists declares, “The law should remain stable but never stand still.” Regarding an adherence to principles while also embracing innovation, this saying applies to businesses as well.

My wife and I founded Ricker’s Oil Co. in our home in 1979. Like most small business owners, we had modest dreams and all the worries associated with taking significant financial risks. We are fortunate that through God’s grace, hard work and more than a little bit of luck, we’ve been successful.

Responding to the wishes of our customers and embracing an evolving business model, Ricker’s added restaurants to 25 stores. Additionally, and by following the law and getting approval from state and local officials, we began to serve cold beer in two of them.

You know the rest.

In its full fury, the General Assembly specifically targeted Ricker’s restaurants for punitive action despite the fact that Gov. Eric Holcomb stated we followed the law and the overwhelming majority of Hoosiers came down on our side and against the state’s unintelligible, Depression-era liquor code [Indiana governor signs measure closing cold beer sales loophole, IBJ.com, May 2].

This fight, however, is far from finished. We will continue to call for common sense reforms to our state’s alcohol code. We will continue to offer ideas and proposals the goal of which will be to give consumers more choices and special interests less power. Ricker’s seat at the table will be your seat at the table.

While we reserve all options, we sincerely hope our state’s leaders will listen to the near-universal voice of their fellow Hoosiers who can’t fathom Indiana’s liquor laws and don’t understand, quite frankly, why all this is so contentious and difficult.

The media is replete with stories of companies that have failed because they refused to change. Is HHGregg a metaphor for the General Assembly? Let’s hope not. The time to bring our laws into the 21st century is now.

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Jay Ricker, Ricker’s chairman