Stop Us, Before We Open Again

Oregon's car dealerships are asking the state's legislature to help them cut costs—by forcing them to close on Sundays.

Oregon's struggling auto dealers plan to ask the Legislature to impose "blue laws" prohibiting car sales on Sunday.

The day off would help them cut costs during an economic downturn that has already put 19 Oregon dealerships out of business this year. Nationally, sales of domestic cars declined more than 35 percent in 2008.

Greg Remensperger, executive vice president of the Oregon Automobile Dealers Association, told The Oregonian newspaper his members strongly favor the measure.

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If lawmakers don't approve the restriction on Sunday sales, Oregon dealers could opt for a voluntary pact among themselves. Dealers, however, figure a state law is needed to ensure that nobody takes advantage of the others' closure.

I've been told by contacts in the liquor industry that the biggest opposition to repealing Sunday sales laws related to alcohol tends to come not from moral crusaders, but from long-established liquor stores, who don't want the hassle of staying open all week.