Update On Sunday Alcohol Sales - Rick Havekost Joins Ken Ard To Continue The Discussion

On March 13, 2026, Micky Finn's owner Rick Havekost joined Ken Ard on the No Stop Lights Podcast where the two once again discussed Sunday Alcohol Sales in South Carolina as well as the State's contradictory laws on THC and CBD beverages. The two discussed Havekost's progress on a bill that is currently moving its way through the South Carolina House of Representatives (House Bill 4001) and Havekost's longtime advocacy for Sunday Alcohol Sales in the State. 

Essentially, House Bill 4001 will allow individual counties in the state to vote to allow a referendum in their respective counties on whether or not to allow Sunday Alcohol Sales. If approved by the public, the county may sell alcohol on Sundays during the hours of 1pm to 5pm. House Bill 4001 has now passed the first committee and is moving to the second. As Havekost points out during the course of the interview, this bill is a "carryover" bill that has been debated for two years. In fact, as he points out, this issue "gets debated every year." 

As Havekost stated: 

It's a simple bill. It's a bill to allow a referendum to have each county vote for Sunday Sales. So it's not changing any laws. It's like any other referendum. Each county, I would have to convince the County Council to put it on the referendum, and then I would have to convince the people to vote for the referendum, and then I would have to decide whether I even want to open up on Sunday. So this is not a mandate. It's not a law. It's a total choice by the people, the County Council and by the liquor store owner."

Havekost explains that he is currently fighting this battle on multiple fronts. On the tradtional front, Havekost faces pushback from the usual suspects such as some outspoken groups in the religious community who have always been and continue to be opposed to any relaxation of liquor laws in the state and who are, in many instances, proponents of tightening those laws. On the  ther hand, Havekost is facing opposisiton from the Association of ABC Stores of SC, an organization to which Havekost himself belongs who oppose the measure based on the argue that many stores are owned by families who will then be "forced" to work on Sundays. 

However, as Havekost points out, no one will be required to work or open on Sundays even if the referendum passes. After all, his own business, Micky Finn's, is closed on select holidays by choice. If businesses prefer not to open on Sundays, they are free to do so. 

The fact is that many business owners simply want the status quo because it provides them with a day off as well as a requirement that all competition also remain closed on that day. In a separate interview with this writer, Havekost responded to this argument by saying "I didn't realize laziness was an excuse to pass laws and restrict business. I don't like working on Saturdays. Should we just pass a law that forces us to close on Saturdays also?" 

Havekost's interview shines a light on South Carolina's laws regarding THC and CBD beverages which are inconistent with its laws regarding alcohol to say the least.

Havekost's case was clearly persuasive as host Ken Ard, during the post-script monologue, endorsed Havekost's position that Sunday Alcohol Sales are not about drinking or not drinking, respecting religion or not. Rather, it is fundamentally about choice and the freedom to choose is a fundamentally American position. 

Both Havekost and Ard are correct in their inclination regarding alcohol laws. The fight for Sunday Sales in South Carolina isn't a question of religion or covenience, it is  an argument between a culture of freedom and a culture of over-regulation and restriciton. 

You can view and listen to the interview here:

If you want to help, I encourage you to call or write both your SC State Rep and State Senator and politely indicate your support for Sunday Sales in South Carolina and, at the very least, a referendum to be added to the ballot so that South Carolinians can voice their opinion on the issue.