May. 08, 2019
HARRISBURG – The House Liquor Control Committee, chaired by Rep. Jeff Pyle (R-Armstrong), has passed legislation that will allow grocery and convenience stores and hotels and restaurants the ability to buy product from private sector wholesalers and wineries without having to go through the Liquor Control Board (LCB), Speaker of the House Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) announced.
This legislation,
House Bill 1346 sponsored by Rep. Kurt Masser (R-Northumberland), also eliminates any price floor requirements, whether from the wholesaler to the retailer or the retailer to the consumer, that artificially inflate the cost and dampen competition.
“We made history with the first sales of wine in the private sector, finally moving Pennsylvania, at least in part, into the 21st century and out of the era of Prohibition. Act 39 of 2016 brought wine privatization by authorizing the sale of wine in private retail markets and by providing for the availability of more than 1,000 additional licenses,” Turzai said. “The overall experience with Act 39 has made it clear that the private sector can responsibly sell wine. Consumers have fully embraced this 21st century approach. It’s just common sense.”
Turzai noted that selling alcohol is not a core function of government. Private-sector entrepreneurs should have the opportunity to grow and to create new job and career opportunities. House Bill 1346, therefore, is an additional pathway to welcome consumer convenience long sought after by Pennsylvanians.
“Purchasing wine through the wholesale market removes the additional cost of going through an unnecessary middleman in the LCB, which only increases the cost to consumers and limits choice of products. It’s just unnecessary bureaucracy,” Turzai said.
The bill now moves to the full House for consideration.
Representative Mike Turzai
Speaker of the House
28th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Christine Goldbeck
717.787.7977 (office) 570.205.0736 (cell)
cgoldbec@pahousegop.com
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