Pennsylvania House Committee Advances New Legislation To Expand Liquor Sales
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- A new wave of legislation to expand liquor sales in Pennsylvania has begun moving through the state legislature.
Last year, Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation that allowed for sales of wine by the bottle in restaurants and grocery stores.
On Monday, the House Liquor Control Committee, voting mostly along party lines, approved a bill that would essentially do the same for liquor.
The panel also approved a bill that, while not eliminating state stores, would allow for franchised wine and spirits retail stores.
"I think we have to be pretty clear as to what is going on here. This is stealth privatization of the state liquor system," said Philadelphia Democrat Kevin Boyle, a member of the committee.
The sponsor of the bill to allow for franchises says he wants to improve service to rural areas, but the ranking Democrat on the Liquor Control Committee believes it would have the opposite effect, with businesses instead saturating the state's urban areas.