PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Shoppers in many states will line up for deals hours after Thanksgiving dinner, but stores in a handful are barred by law from opening on the holiday.

Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maine have so-called "blue laws" that bar many big stores from opening Thursday. The laws prohibit most big box stores department stores and large supermarkets from opening.

There have been some complaints over the years from companies that complain they're losing business to neighboring states or online stores, and recent pushes to change the laws in Maine and Massachusetts have gone nowhere.

But many shoppers, workers and even retailers say they're more than happy with the status quo, which grants a one-day reprieve from work and holiday shopping.

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