The last of Arizona's blue laws is going out with little objection as the deadline nears to legalize early Sunday morning alcohol sales, and merchants admit the change will probably be even more welcome to their customers than to them.

When the legislation, which changes the 10 a.m. postponement of alcohol sales on Sundays to the regular daily 6 a.m. time, takes effect on the first Sunday in August, it will end the last Arizona law that enforced moral standards on Sundays.

The change affects 11,273 establishments statewide, according to the number of active liquor licenses compiled by the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control.

At the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort in Chandler, guests sometimes ask for a Bloody Mary or a mimosa in the morning, and on Sundays, the staff must tell them to wait.

"For the customers, it'll be more convenient for them," said resort General Manager Frank Heavlin. But for the resort, "it's been one way for so long it's rarely been a problem."

Four extra hours a week in which guests can drink will have a minor effect on the resort's revenue, but guests may appreciate the gesture, Heavlin said.

"Lifestyles have changed since the '50s, and I think it's something customers are looking for," he said. "It's just the changing of the times."

Tim McCabe, president of the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance, said in the case of grocery stores that sell liquor, "it's really more of a convenience for the consumer."

In recent years, shopping patterns have shifted toward the weekends instead of weekdays, and many people don't realize until they get to the store that they can't purchase liquor on Sundays until 10 a.m., McCabe said.

As far as the grocery stores' income, "it'll really have a minimum impact," he said. "A lot of these stores are already open 24 hours."

At the bottom of the list of establishments this legislation will affect are bars, many of which don't open until about 11 a.m. anyway. But sports bars are the exception. They often need to serve their customers ahead of early games.

"It's amazing that when we open at 9 a.m. (in August), we'll be able to serve alcohol," said Doug Collins, owner and operator of The Tavern on Mill. "Once you get into football season, some games start early, so you have people in here waiting for the 10 o'clock hour to strike."

Collins said an hour difference could mean a few more hundred dollars a day, and his establishment is happy to welcome the change.

Despite the milestone end to Arizona's blue laws, Pastor Dave Summers of Tempe First United Methodist Church said those in the religious community were more upset five years ago when "last call" was extended.

On Aug. 24, 2005, Arizona drinkers began celebrating another hour at the bars, as the time consumers could buy alcohol was extended to 2 a.m., from 1 a.m. Religious leaders as well as activist groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving and officials such as Scottsdale Police Chief Alan Rodbell spoke out against the legislation. But the latest change has resulted in much less dissent.

"This one seems to have kind of slipped under the radar," Summers said.

Still, Summers said he believes the legislation is eliminating an important tradition.

"It's disappointing to me because it's part of that shift in our society that becomes more secular," he said. "There are times where we need some sort of restraint. Anything that erodes that is part of the tragedy of life becoming less and less holy. I feel a real sense of sadness that we're losing something that is both important and sacred to us. This may be one of the last stands for Sunday."

Blue laws, or laws that regulate business on Sundays based on moral standards, exist in 30 other states. They regulate the sale of alcoholic beverages or other activities such as car sales, hunting, horse racing or sporting events on Sundays.

More than a decade ago, Arizona restricted alcohol sales until noon, but lawmakers changed the hours specifically to accommodate drinkers at sports bars and restaurants who came to watch morning games.

But legislators' reasoning this time is the same as other states weighing their blue laws: It may serve as an extra shot of revenue in a sagging economy. Massachusetts, home to some of America's founding blue laws, is also considering changing its Sunday morning alcohol restriction from noon to 10 a.m.

Rep. Matt Heinz, D-Tucson, first introduced the idea to the state House of Representatives as especially helpful for businesses such as the San Marcos Golf Resort and suggested that it could improve tourism revenue. An analysis prepared by budget staff members also estimated that it could generate more than $430,000 a year in new tax revenues.

The plan didn't initially go through, but Heinz later reintroduced it to lawmakers with state Sen. Frank Antenori, R-Tucson, by adding an amendment to legislation needed to keep the Department of Liquor Licenses and Control alive.

Antenori said it was easy for Heinz to convince him to back the amendment.

When the alcohol purchase time was extended to 10 a.m. from noon on Sundays, the state earned $250,000 in tax revenue, Antenori said.

He added that it would be good for tourism and the restaurant industry, which are floundering in the weak economy.

Antenori also said arguments that the amendment would lead to more drinking were not sound.

"This isn't going to do anything with regards to drinking," Antenori said. "People can stockpile beer and drink it whenever they want. This is about the purchase of alcohol."

Antenori said it didn't make sense to ban the purchase of alcohol at 6 a.m. on one day and allow it the rest of the week, nor to base it on a day of worship.

"We should not make laws that support an individual religion," said Antenori, who is Catholic. "This way, nobody gets special privileges and nobody gets discriminated against."

Now, businesses and consumers will be the judge of whether the extra four hours is necessary or not.

Mary Ann Miller, president and CEO of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce, argued that a convenience for the consumer is a convenience for the business.

"The last thing you want to do is discourage someone from buying something," she said.