Legalize Sundays - Lawsons

[Music] um [Music] so [Music] [Music] ah [Music] this is car 101 we're at the scene there is a violation section 3373.24 revised code state of ohio a lot of people here have the illegal product in the parking area we'll padlock the establishment and bring the operators in for a booking i hate to do this job but i guess we'll have to we'll bring the operators directly down to the station the law which is now being enforced in some parts of ohio is not interpreted the same way in every community still it is a state law a part of the ohio code the crime selling milk on sunday small dairy stores like this one have been opened seven days a week in ohio for more than a quarter of a century people have grown accustomed to buying fresh milk and bread whenever they run out but in recent months there has been growing pressure to halt sales of fresh milk and food items on sundays there are two reasons why first the large food stores which are too big to operate profitably on sundays because their overhead cost is too high don't like the fact that their smaller competitors do any business at all on a day when they are closed and secondly all retailers who close on sundays especially the large downtown department stores are concerned about the growing trend towards sunday retailing now they don't care about the dairy stores or the small mom-and-pop food stores that serve neighborhoods but they are seeking a weapon to protect themselves against the growing number of discount houses that operate on sundays this is the weapon they have found the ohio blue law ohio sunday closing law was written in 1831 when there were fewer people in the entire state than live today in cleveland it was a good law for the time it said that no work should be performed on sundays unless it be work of necessity or charity and most people then thought it was a good idea just as most people today still think it is our lawmakers in 1831 didn't bother to explain what they meant by work of necessity but that wasn't much of a problem there was very little work being done on sundays anyway there was no electric service to provide no natural gas no telephone telegraph public transportation there was no radio and television was still more than a century away there was no gasoline or oil because cars would not be invented for several generations about the only things that were considered necessities in 1831 were food fuel and shelter and even food was not clearly defined by the law as a necessity today most of us can agree that these things are necessities of modern family life and should be available seven days a week public utilities including transportation radio and tv household fuels drugs and medical supplies newspapers and other news media gasoline and oil milk and other foods products used for personal hygiene and sanitation yet none of these items has ever been made clearly legal for sunday sale either by the old law or by any subsequent decision of ohio's courts as a result the old law can be interpreted in any way that any local authority chooses to interpret it just about anything can be allowed open on sundays or just about anything can be closed in most communities the old law is considered so outmoded that it is ignored entirely many prosecutors and judges have pronounced it unenforceable so in about 98 percent of the cities and towns in ohio anything goes on sunday any businessman who wants to open may do so without fear of prosecution or harassment a lot of people are sincerely disturbed about this sunday commercialism especially church people they've been calling on their authorities to do something about it and the retailers who compete with these sunday merchandisers have been only too glad to join in the song that's why the ancient blue law has been dusted off in the last couple of years some communities are trying to apply the 1831 law to 1962 conditions and that's where the problem arises the law doesn't spell out what necessities can be sold and just about every enforcement authority and judge seems to have a different idea about what constitutes a necessity it will take three years just to litigate the cases in our courts right now most of us have a sunday morning newspaper delivered by a boy like this one his work can't be considered either necessary or charitable by any stretch of the imagination but we don't want the boy thrown in jail so we all ignore this violation of the law we also like to read our papers on mondays so we let the newspaper men gather news and process it on sundays so it will be ready for us the next day even though this too is a clear violation of the blue law when commercial announcers or newsmen like me do our work on radio or television every sunday it doesn't seem to bother many people and yet how can anybody consider a tv commercial as permissible under the sunday law we permit commercials because we want the programs they make possible there are hundreds of examples of our hypocrisy about the law these are only a few and you probably don't have to worry about these things being taken away because there's no pressure to take them away even though they may be illegal but there is plenty of pressure being applied by retail merchants who don't operate on sunday to take away some other things that the public wants just as much if not more things like milk in recent months a wave of pressure has been sweeping across ohio to enforce the blue law rigidly in the wake of this wave we've had not only discount stores shut down but dairy stores small neighborhood mom-and-pop food stores neighborhood bakeries confectionaries and delicatessens maybe this wave hasn't reached your community yet but it probably will and soon is this enforcement really in the public interest let's take a look not long ago community research associates and independent survey organization polled people to find out what they want and do not want available on sundays they listed 24 different items in random order and asked ohioans to check only the items they thought the public should be able to buy seven days a week this is the list ranked in order of popularity these items of general merchandise were very unpopular as you can see they are wanted on sundays by fewer than 20 of the people these items on the other hand are wanted by most people it's interesting that milk is one of the most wanted items on the list since milk is one of the chief targets of the enforcement officers in their recent crackdowns actually more people want fresh milk available 365 days a year than telephone or electric service food items are also wanted by a majority of the people so this is the dilemma some of the things that the people consider necessary on sundays are not considered necessary under some interpretations of the law and that's why the law is unfair not only to the public but to the merchants it regulates the law can be interpreted to help some merchants and hurt others what do ohio's judges think about the law judge william burns in a recent court decision said this the ramifications of this silly stupid and idiotic law are endless i see only one course out of this dilemma revision of the present law otherwise there will be chaos in the courts and endless litigation judge harry wyckoff says this no peace officer should attempt to interpret this law we are living in an entirely different age today than when this law was first passed judge nathan copeland says this all is confusion and chaos because the law can be interpreted in so many different ways i think it should be refined and redefined on tuesday at the polls you will have an opportunity to refine and redefine ohio sunday closing law issue number one on your ballot is a proposal to amend the law it does not repeal the present blue law it simply spells out very clearly the specific items that should be considered necessities exempt from sunday closing these are the items milk and other foods products used for personal hygiene and sanitation public utilities and transportation radio and tv household fuels drugs and medical supplies newspapers and other news media gasoline and oil if the amendment passes it will have the effect of limiting sunday commercialism to these specific items at the same time it will guarantee your right to buy these items whenever you need them seven days a week the amendment is on the ballot because half a million ohioans throughout the state signed petitions to put it there the petitions were circulated by the lawson milk company one of the firms whose small dairy stores have been open on sundays for 23 years but are now being threatened with closure unless the law is modernized lawsons has always been a fighting company with a long record of public service this is william howlett lawson's chairman who is campaigning actively in behalf of the issue is that one of the new model cars you're driving mr holland no that's a 1919 model t and ohio's blue law is 88 years older than that car that's interesting mr holland how's the campaign going i feel it's going very well there seems to be a lot of pressure groups against the issue but the people are for it i've been traveling up and down the state and i have a feeling everywhere that the people are going to the polls and uh the major share of them vote favorably on this issue now you've been criticized for taking this issue directly to the people instead of through the state legislature would you care to comment on that well the legislature has had 131 years to clarify this law in the last 22 sessions of the legislature 32 bills have been introduced to clarify work of necessity which is the trouble clause in this statute and the lobbyists have killed every single one of these bills except uh the one which legalized the state fair and which was recommended by the attorney general that's the recreation amendment so that uh we don't feel that the legislature can do this job because the lobby is too strong in columbus in reality then has there anything ever really been done about this problem clause to define necessities well many attempts have been made they've largely failed because of this lobby and uh we just feel that the time has come for the public to decide the issue the lobbyists you referred to do you feel that they are the ones that are behind the opposition to the amendment there's no question about it they have to register publicly and they are the same merchant groups who have uh fought this thing for years the opposition officially calls it the voters action association the executive secretary of that group the man who organized this association is a registered lobbyist for the same group of merchants who have bottled up this legislature for legislation for years a lot of your opponents are saying that uh the people are not confident to judge this issue mr holland obviously you don't agree with this no i don't i think this issue has been in the smoke-filled rooms in columbus for too many years it's time that the people of this state had something to say about it uh it was just situations of this kind that uh enabled our or encouraged our forefathers to provide the initiative and referendum procedure your opponents also are saying that if you legalize milk and bread to be sold on the sunday that pretty soon the supermarkets will be allowed to operate on a sunday do you believe this will happen well if this was going to happen it would have happened a long time ago actually supermarkets have the same right to be open that we are and during our 23 years of operation they have failed to be open uh generally speaking because it isn't good business for them our average transaction on sunday is 87 cents theirs is around 10 dollars there just isn't enough business for the large supermarket uh the only food store that can afford to operate is the family operated unit such as ours and the mom and pops your opponents also say something else they say that the real power behind this amendment is consolidated foods which owns your company they say consolidated foods once these necessities legalize so the supermarkets can legally operate on a sunday for their interest well our opponents are attacking our company vigorously instead of the amendment and uh i think a look at our company would be worthwhile consolidated foods is owned by seventeen thousand stockholders all over the state many of them in them in ohio we have absolutely no interest in supermarket operations in this state nor do we intend to have them and therefore uh the interest here is a local one the loss in management is uh feels an end should come to the predatory attacks that have been launched on our business by competitors and that the public should finally have a right to have these essential services legalized if this amendment should not pass if it should be defeated will this mean that all laws and stores will be forced to close on sundays i presume that uh some communities will enforce the law as they are now doing it's difficult to predict how the law will be interpreted because that's up to the local law enforcement operators but if we are forced to continue operating under a cloud of illegality so will the gasoline stations the drug stores the radio stations the tv stations and those other essential services that we seek to legalize by this amendment now we don't like this cloud and we want to clear it away we think the public wants it cleared away because i think everybody wants fair play and that's what this amendment seeks to uh achieve thank you mr holland does the public want the cloud cleared away we took our cameras to six major cities in ohio to find out how people feel about issue one we asked housewives businessmen career girls and working men how they felt about sunday necessities and how they plan to vote the interviews were completely unrehearsed and candid all the opinions you will hear are opinions of the people interviewed listen mrs joanne berget 373 east okinawa columbus are you familiar with ohio's blue law yes issue number one on the ballot this november is to amend that law to make the necessities available on a sunday are you in favor of that yes would you tell me why please uh i have a family a lot of times you need milk on sunday or you need gasoline or some necessities transportation you have children yes two boys how old are they please fourteen and eight it's been necessary then i assume from what you say to buy uh such things as food or you wanna make a trip gasoline to the car or drug items on a sunday yes not general shopping just uh what i consider necessary household items this is a privilege then you'd like maintained oh yes you'll vote yes on issue thank you very much would you tell me your name and address please ivor young 1620 berkshire road columbus ohio thank you you're familiar with the ohio blue law yes i am issue number one on the ballot this november is to amend that blue law to make necessities available on a sunday will you vote yes on issue one yes may i have your reasons please well as i understand the amendment uh it will only be as to necessities it can be sold on sunday it won't be the out and out commercialization on sunday that we have during the business days therefore due to the family necessity uh it doesn't seem repugnant to me to have this kind of commercialization on sunday are you a family man sir yes you have children yes have you found it necessary on a sunday do yourself buy such things as a newspaper or drugs perhaps or quite frequently we don't plan that well not to have to go to the store on sunday this is a privilege you'd like to see maintained then yes mr lewis rosenbaum and your address uh 3300 homestead street that's in youngstown yeah that's in youngstown on the south side thank you are you familiar sir with the ohio blue law yes i am sir will you vote yes on issue number one to amend that law yes i will would you tell me why please well i believe that if someone is sick and you need to go to the drug store or something like that that you should have it open so that you can go there and purchase what you need in case you have a sick child or something like that have you found it necessary in the past buy gasoline for your car articles for personal hygiene or yes food for use on a sunday yes i have and i do believe that certain stores should be open on that and you believe this is a privilege that uh you want kept yes i do i think any citizen that is voting should uh think likewise and realize if they have a child or something like that they should be someplace that they could purchase those necessary items to do that will you vote yes on issue one yes i will would you tell me your name and address sir uh bob edwards 317 westminster in uh austintown in 1831 ohio passed and put on the books uh law the so-called ohio blue law are you familiar with it sir yes sir will you vote yes on issue one to amend that law this november yes sir i certainly would may i ask do you have a family yes sir family of four that's your wife and two children no wife and four children and four children that's right sir boys girls evenly split our house three boys and one girl sir have you found it necessary to buy uh such things as milk or bread on sundays you have yes sir and you would not like this privilege i assume take it away from you i would not definitely not you vote yes reason number one i vote yes vision number one thank you very much would you tell me your name and address please mrs james t moran 2101 harrison avenue westwood mr moran have you ever had occasion to buy gasoline or other products for your car or food products or prescription or patent medicine drugs on a sunday yes i have many times you have a sunday paper delivered yes we do listen to radio or tv on a sunday very much this is a privilege i assume that you would like to keep them maintained certainly would will you vote yes on issue one i shall let me ask you why please well i believe in uh things that are so necessary that you must be able to go and get them they're just the reason why you shouldn't would you tell me who you are please i'm mrs john bald 1930 vine street partner thank you who's your young friend here this is david this is my little boy hi david are you familiar with ohio's blue lawn yes i am and will you vote yes on issue number one yes i will because uh well i think it needs to be amended really have you found occasion to buy such things as gasoline or drugs or food on a sunday in the past oh yes yeah you do the bulk of your shopping through the week or i do i do it through the week the bulk of it but i find that there's always a time that i've forgotten something or i have extra company may i have your name and address please ml han 2375 montana avenue have you had occasion in the past or to buy let's say gasoline for the car or food items or baths medicines on a sunday definitely this is something you would like maintain yes you will vote yes then for example i sure would thank you very much who are you please mr c.f rosso and your address 15 east suranam new glendale hey downtown doing a bit of shopping today yes i am are you familiar with the house blue law yes i am will you hold yes on issue number one on the ballot this november i will vote that they shall sell only necessities would you tell me your name sir john dalbeck where do you live 2545 sylvania avenue may ask your line of work i'm a brokerage consultant you are familiar with ohio's blue laws it was passed in 1831 yes i am and issue number one on this november's ballot will you vote yes for that amendment yes i will this is the necessities amendment will you tell me why you're voting for it well there should be no reason why in america when necessities are needed there should be any restrictions on these you are then in favor of updating the law bringing it up today may ask your name and address please mrs ladonna williams 1527 hearing do you have a family mrs whalen i have four grown children and nine grandchildren would you vote yes on issue number one yes i would may ask why please because i believe these necessary stores should be open on sunday and for emergencies and well just general ideas general purposes have you found it necessary to buy food items such as when the grandchildren perhaps yes yes i've run out of bread or i run out of cookies for the children i've needed milk when i can move and i haven't i don't keep it in the house for just the two of us you know drug items perhaps yes lots of times yes aspirin or medicines you know as the uh ohio blue law stands now as it was passed in 1831 and is also possible to close down utilities and the publication of newspapers the broadcasting of radio and television i assume you wouldn't want to see that no no um [Music] thank you who are you please sir i'm mr john ryan and where do you live 2001 gay drive on the kettering thank you very soon on the ballot this november will be issue number one this is for amending ohio's blue law so necessities may be sold on the sunday without interference would you vote yes on that amendment yes i feel very strongly that i would why i feel that there are certain necessities that should be available even on sunday even though there are many places that probably should be closed on sunday at the same time there are necessities that should be obtainable even on sundays such as the necessities for like children for instance health needs milk for instance possibly your drugs things of this nature you are going to vote yes then on issue number one very definitely who are you please this is my name is mrs john nichol and you're from where from dayton ohio where do you live please on california avenue are you familiar with ohio's blue law that was passed in 1831 yes i am and the issue number one on this november's ballot is to amend and make available without interference of necessities on a sunday are you going to vote yes for that amendment yes i am yeah ask why well mainly because i feel that there are certain necessities that we do need and it's an antiquated law for sure i believe every person should have the right to buy something uh that they need uh on sunday or any other day if you don't want to buy anything you don't have to but i think it should be available i'm mrs edward meadow and you sir dr meadow doctor where is your address uh 719 workload place are you familiar with the ohio blue law yes sir on the ballot this november is issue number one this is the amendment to the ohio blue law that provides for necessities that the necessities shall be allowed to be sold on sunday are you in favor of this yes i am doctor would you vote yes obviously would you tell me your name sir and where you live uh charles shingledecker i'm uh live at 680 milton drive miner ohio you have a family sir yes i do i have three children at home and i have one married daughter and the grandchildren two grandchildren there's occasions perhaps when the children visit you too the very uh uh when the grandchildren are over particularly on weekends why we have to have extra milk and that's now that's something that pops up out of a blue sky and we don't know that ahead of time and it's necessary for us to have milk on sundays you're voting yes then on mission number one yes i will thank you very much who are you sir my name is nathaniel noble of 4210 woodland nathaniel are you familiar with ohio's blue law yes i am will you vote yes on issue number one uh to let this let the store the essential things be open on sunday on 4 there would you tell me your name and address please uh my name is louis and i live on clarence avenue in lakewood ohio are you familiar with ohio's blue law yes i am will you vote yes on issue number one to amend that law yes i will would you tell me why please yes i believe every person should have an opportunity to purchase things on sunday i have a brother that has four or four young children he needs his milk and bread and he has to get his gasoline for work and you can't get everything in six days it takes uh so i think seven days i think certain things should be open on sunny that they're needed our necessities not furniture things like that but necessities i think should be open on sunday you've heard the sponsors of this issue speak you've heard the people in the street and you've probably been reading newspaper articles and editorials both for and against the amendment now it's time to make up your own mind the moral issue here is basically one of honesty versus hypocrisy all the people of ohio want necessities on sunday and are now buying them they are buying all of the items listed in the amendment do we want these items available honestly or not once again these are the items you will be voting to legalize on sunday if you vote yes on issue one public utilities and transportation radio and tv household fuels drugs and medical supplies newspapers and other news media gasoline and oil milk and other foods products used for personal hygiene and sanitation that's the complete list if you agree that these items are necessary seven days a week and that you should be able to get any of them legally without interference then you should vote yes for issue one remember issue one covers only necessities non-essential items are not included the issue is as simple as this if you want to limit sunday commercialism and guarantee your right to buy necessities you should vote yes to pass the amendment this is a copy of the ballot if you vote on a voting machine you will not be able to read the list of items that the amendment proposes to make clearly legal for sunday sale remember that these are the same items we have been talking about the necessities of modern family living your yes vote will legalize only these necessities this sentence is long and confusing to some people what it means is if you don't want the listed items available on sundays vote no if you do want them available vote yes vote yes for honest sundays vote yes for issue one [Music] you