RALEIGH - The North Carolina House has passed a bill allowing alcohol sales on Sunday mornings.
The proposal approved Tuesday would let local governments pass ordinances permitting restaurants and retailers like grocery stores to begin selling alcohol at 10 a.m. on Sundays. Currently, beer, wine and liquor sales are prohibited before noon on Sundays statewide.
The House also approved an amendment to remove a provision from the bill that would have allowed distilleries to sell and ship liquor directly to out-of-state consumers. Randolph County Republican Rep. Pat Hurley said the change would prevent the manufacturers from inadvertently shipping alcohol to those underage.
Another amendment that would have permitted only restaurants to serve alcohol before noon on Sundays failed.
The bill returns to the Senate for another vote.