HARRISBURG, PA ? Pennsylvania?s House Liquor Control Committee earlier this week scrapped state House Majority Leader Mike Turzai?s controversial bill to eliminate Pennsylvania?s state Liquor Control Board and privatize the state-owned system and instead passed a far different measure that would allow the state?s 1,200 beer distributors to sell wine to the public while the liquor stores continue their operations, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Introduced by state Rep. John Taylor, the amended bill now moves to the House floor for debate. If it passes, it would add 1,200 places for consumers to purchase wine, in addition to the existing state-owned stores.
Liquor would still be restricted to state-run stores, while beer distributors could sell wine and beer. A license to sell wine would cost $50,000 with a $15,000 annual renewal fee.
Those licenses could then be sold, most likely to large supermarket chains (and very likely at a much higher cost), which would then be able to sell beer and wine at their stores, though probably in a separate part of the store.
Currently, 100 Pennsylvania supermarkets are permitted to sell beer in a separate area of their stores.
Taylor opposed Turzai?s proposal because he said he was unconvinced privatization would benefit the state financially and that it would cost 3,800 employees their jobs.
The amended bill makes several other changes, such as allowing beer distributors to sell six packs (they currently only sell by the case) and allowing bars and taverns to sell 30 packs, not just one or two six packs as they do now.
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