It's crunch time in Harrisburg.
Or maybe that would be better referred to as 'post time.'
Since when did 10 a.m. become 'happy hour?'
Well, since today the full House of Representatives is expected to vote on Speaker Mike Turzai's bill to get Pennsylvania out of the booze business.
This is very similar to the measure that passed the House last fall - the only time in history a privatization package has passed in Pennsylvania.
There are a lot of new faces in this Legislature, but with his fellow Republicans solidly in control of the House, the Speaker's measure is expected to pass.
Its future in the Senate, where it died last fall, is a lot murkier. Despite the fact that the GOP also controls the Senate.
Turzai's complicated bill would do all kinds of things, but essentially would phase out state stores while selling licenses to private entrepreneurs, with the state's beer distributors getting first shot at them.
You can get all the details of the Turzai plan, House Bill 466 here.
We'll update you on the vote, but remember, new Gov. Tom Wolf is not a proponent of privatization. Instead he would like to see the state store system modernized. He says he would veto a privatization bill. But I get the feeling if they can get this measure through the Senate, Turzai and fellow Republicans might be able to do some horse trading with the governor, especially in the area of tax changes Wolf desperately needs for his budget plan.
Stay tuned.
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