New PA Privatization Bill Gives Existing Beer Distributors First Shot At Liquor & Wine Licenses

From Lehigh Valley Live:

A legislative panel on Monday endorsed a revamped version of Gov. Tom Corbett’s liquor privatization bill that would give existing beer distributors first crack at liquor and wine licenses and expand the sale of wine in grocery stores.

In a 14-10 party-line vote, the House Liquor Committee backed a bill that would potentially phase out the existing state-controlled stores as the number of private operators grows.

Under the bill, the state’s 1,200 beer distributors would be given one year to decide whether they wanted to buy a license to sell wine, a liquor license or both. Fees for wine licenses would range up to $37,500 and to as much as $60,000 for liquor licenses, but the distributors could opt to pay off that expense over four years for an additional 5 percent.

After that, the remaining licenses — plus as many 600 additional ones at the discretion of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board — would be offered to other buyers on a first-come-first-served basis and at much higher fees.
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