PA Legislature Continues Privatization Debate

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From the Yorkdispatch:

HARRISBURG, Pa.—Amid the crush of wrangling and debate that annually precede passage of Pennsylvania's state budget, advocates of getting the state out of the business of selling liquor and wine are hoping to advance their cause before lawmakers break for the summer.

House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, the Legislature's leading privatization champion, is trying to line up votes for his latest plan. Among other things, it would give the state's 1,200 beer distributors the first shot at buying licenses to sell beverages currently available only at state-owned stores.

On Friday, Turzai announced plans for a House GOP caucus meeting on privatization next week in preparation for a still-to-be-scheduled vote on his plan. Lawmakers are slated to reconvene Monday for a busy June schedule, the main task of which is to pass a budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.



Turzai's plan has evolved substantially since he unveiled his original bill nearly a year ago—through public hearings, a study by an outside consultant and a watershed committee vote—and he warned that the latest proposal is likely to undergo more revisions before it hits the House floor.

"It's merely a draft, that's all it is," the Allegheny County Republican said this week. "The final product has to be geared toward the citizens of Pennsylvania ... to provide consumers with the best service, prices, convenience that they demand and that they see in other states."

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