Pa. Liquor Control Board raises prices by 4% on all forms of alcohol
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Liquor prices have gone up.
The price change went into effect on Sunday, after the decision was made by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board last year.
If you were shopping for some wine or liquor Sunday, you may have gotten a little bit of sticker shock at your local store. Prices for many products have gone up and the reason for that, the state said, is inflation.
On Sunday, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board raised prices by 4% on all forms of alcohol, for not only bars and restaurants but at your local state-run liquor stores.
Depending on the price of the liquor you purchase, the fee hike could range anywhere from 50 cents for a bottle, to several dollars for your favorite adult beverage.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board said that this is the first time its raising prices across the board since 2019, and they said the increase is due to record-high inflation and to help offset operating costs, which have been increasing over the last four years.
Mark Kelly of the LCB, said that a 4% hike is fair.
"Right now, 4% is the right amount. Our team took a very long time to look at what four percent means for our bottom line and what it means for our customers. We did not undertake this lightly," Kelly added.
But some lawmakers are critical, like State Sen. Mike Regan.
Regan (R) chairs the Senate committee responsible for the Liquor Control Board. He said the liquor monopoly in this state is what allows for such a large-scale price hike.
"If this was a private business, the raising of prices would probably be the last thing they would do. The first thing they would do is try to cut their costs. They would look at how they're staffed," Sen. Regan said.
Sixteen other states control the sale of distilled spirits and in some cases, wine and beer. And in many of these states, control boards were established just after the repeal of prohibition in the 1930s. Here in Pennsylvania, the agency is governed by a three-member board, whose members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by two-thirds of the State Senate.
To get rid of state-run liquor sales, there would need to be a constitutional amendment passed by both the State Senate and House, and then it would have to go before voters as a ballot question.
An amendment doesn't seem likely and at this moment in time, little can be done about the spike in prices.