Proposal in La Crosse to begin booze sales two hours earlier

City would still enforce liquor, wine sales end at 9 p.m. and beer at midnight. 

A new proposal introduced in city hall would allow for booze to be bought at 6 a.m. in La Crosse.

The new plan would allow stores to sell beer, wine and liquor two hours earlier than current rules. Currently in the city, retailers can start selling alcohol at 8 a.m.

Head of the Changing the Culture of Risky Drinking Behavior Coalition in La Crosse, Catherine Kolkmeier said she couldn’t “see why anyone would need to buy alcohol at six in the morning.”

City council member Gary Padesky believes there are a lot of reasons.

“You’re going to have a Badger party or whatever, and you want to get to Festival or wherever before it gets busy so you run over there and you’re getting all your other items for the party that afternoon, but you can’t get into the liquor dept. until 8 (a.m.),” Padesky said.

Padesky sees other reasons, too.

“A lot of people say how can you drink at 6:30-7 in the morning?” Padesky said. “But, if you work third shift, that’s your 5 o’clock in the afternoon.

“I know a lot of people are going to say it’s going to go along with the binge drinking and I just don’t agree with that. I think it’s just making life easier for people.”

Under the proposal, liquor and wine sales would still end at 9 p.m. and Beer sales at midnight.