Tom Killion continues to chip away at the dinosaur known as the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
It's not exactly a secret that Killion, the newly minted senator from the 9th District in Delco, is not a fan of the way the state monopolizes the sale of alcohol. He was a vocal part of the Republican bloc who made privatization a big part of their budget presentation earlier this summer.
What we got instead was Act 39, which makes some changes in the system, but does not do away with the LCB - and those lovely state stores.
The new law allows supermarkets to sell wine. A couple of weeks ago, Killion highlighted another good aspect of the law: For the first time Pennsylvania residents can have wine shipped directly to their homes, bypassing the LCB.
Yesterday he was at it again, noting a group that continues to be hurting despite - or maybe because of - changes in the law.
Killion is going to bat for beer distributors, who now find their business under attack on all fronts. Supermarkets increasingly are getting into the beer business. Wawa is about to jump into the fray. Act 39 gave supermarkets the ability to sell wine. Killion wants to offer the same opportunity to beer distributors.
Yesterday he announced plans for Senate Bill 1359, which would allow beer distributors to apply for a similar license to sell four bottles of wine at a time. The cost of the license would be $2,000.
Seems like the only fair thing to do.
You can read our full story on the issue here.
Comments