Lincoln city pawn shops could soon be open on Sundays and shift to reporting exchanges electronically versus issuing paper tickets.
Councilman James Michale Bowers has worked on updating the statute for several years.
“I think as a city council we’re dedicated to making sure that our municipal code keeps up with the times. We can’t keep outdated ordinances or regulations just because that’s the way it’s always been especially if they’re creating barriers for businesses like in northeast Lincoln,” he says.
The ordinance will allow all pawnshops to be open Sundays and still allow Lincoln Police to examine exchanges for possible leads on other crimes.
Assistant County Attorney Tonya Peters says the ordinance will make openings consistent since LPD analyzes exchanges Monday through Friday.
“It can bee too hard for law enforcement to manage who can be open and who is not. That’s why we’ve always avoided it. For example, liquor licenses, we’ve always had a standard.”
The ordinance will also make pawnshops report exchanges electronically or require a 5-dollar charge fee per paper ticket.