Gov. Tom Wolf signs sweeping reforms to Pa.'s liquor system

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Penn Live

Gov. Tom Wolf signed the most substantial changes to Pennsylvania's liquor system since the 1930s on Wednesday, a possible signal of bipartisan cooperation over next year's budget.

"<This bill> came about because members of both parties cooperated with each other," Wolf said, before he signed the bill, which passed the House on Tuesday in a 157-31 vote.

The changes coming to how Pennsylvanians purchase and consume their alcohol include wine sales at grocery stores, longer state liquor store hours and 24/7 beverage service at casinos. Residents would also be able to receive direct shipments of wine through the mail.

<...>

Proponents, including Wolf, say the changes help improve convenience for customers. The House Appropriations Committee estimated that the expansion of alcohol access could generate $150 million in new revenue for the state.


Read more: http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/06/liquor_reforms_gov_tom_wolf_si.html

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Wow. Just wow. I know this probably sounds silly to those in states without the types of "blue laws" (that's what they have been called over the past century) that PA has (which also includes fines for stores opening on Sunday)... but this is pretty big. PA is one of the last of the states where the entire liquor industry is regulated by the state and sold by the state (by state employees).

I grew up with these "State Stores" (now called "Wine and Spirits Shoppes&quot where there was always a hushed atmosphere and the fear of being carded...

A couple years ago, they started allowing supermarkets to sell beer in quantities > 6-packs outside of designated beer distributors - i.e., in some supermarkets. And now this will expand that to wine, which was only available in the state stores.

This is really a dramatic change for me (at least here in PA). I went to college in MA where we regularly made "packy runs" so obviously I know how it is in most of the rest of the U.S. including our border states. But.. wow. The mail shipments will be great - particularly for items such as Mirin (and not the kind that is salted down to be considered "cooking wine&quot .

[TeamPooka]

1. Forget about selling more booze and legalize cannabis. nt

[BumRushDaShow]

6. PA will now have medical marijuana

also signed by this governor, which is a start (although it is restricted to certain forms). Eventually it will be expanded if people push for it, get out and vote, and make state legislature Democratic.

[Garion_55]

2. moved from a state with drive through liquor stores

so none of these stupid laws make any sense to me.

[yeoman6987]

3. I feel for the state workers who will be furloughed

But college kids get their beer so all is well. Ugh!

[Travis_0004]

4. I think its dumb that a private store can not sell beer

This is a good law, but doesnt go far enough. I like that in Ohio if I want a beer I can just go to a gas station and pick up what I want.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. They haven't gotten rid of the state stores

so the state employees will still be there - notably for hard liquor sales, which is not covered by this law... although I expect wine will continue to be sold in those stores. The law is expanding the hours and operating days, so that could potentially mean more state workers versus less.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. In a state with a significant recidivist DUI problem

the lack of prevention in this bill and encouragement to consume more
is very suspect

$150 milllion in new revenue? Good luck with that. Where is the new business
going to come from? Border state sales most likely. No more runs to Mary Land

More DUI enforcement. Great. Keeps the police unions and lawyers and court
budget guys happy. Pain for motorists.

This is a give-away to large liquor interests who will come to dominate
the landscape.

I was in a state store yesterday ... they were playing some sort of redneck
Jesus music - seriously - on the state's time and dime - so maybe it is time to
break them up

[angrychair]

8. This new wave of sin tax budget gimmicks is depressing

When your state starts loosing laws to allow the lottery, gambling, drinking or smoking weed, your state has budget issues.
These things always come with a lot of fanfare and promises but never fix anything and often come with a whole set of other issues brought on by the change.

I am not saying that done in a responsible manner that any of these things are bad, in and of themselves (except gambling, little to no redeeming value in gambling), what I am saying is that the extra money is not going to magically fix what is wrong with your state's budget.

[Travis_0004]

11. I don't care

I'm don't think the revenue matters. I'm agianst a nanny state. Somebody who wants to buy some beer should be allowed to go to a corner store most of the day, and pick up what they want. If this doesn't bring in an extra dime, I would be ok with that.

[angrychair]

16. I don't disagree with that aspect of it

I hate when politicians, of any Party, attempt to sell it as a fix for education funding or road repair or whatever the case might be, it is disingenuous and never an actual long-term fix for that budget hole.

[femmocrat]

9. I wonder if the clerks will have to be 21, especially in gas stations.

Does anyone know?

I am not in favor of making alcohol more readily accessible to drivers. I see too many beer cans tossed along our country roads now. And there is this:

Yet across Pennsylvania - where someone dies every day on average from a DUI accident - police, prosecutors, and judges are failing to curb repeat drunk drivers like Lawless.

Get arrested for DUI in Pennsylvania, and you're more likely to wind up back on the road drunk than in most other states. A March study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that across the country, about one in every four people who were convicted for drunken driving was a repeat offender.

In Pennsylvania, that rate is nearly half, based on an Inquirer analysis of figures PennDot provided, making it one of the worst rates of the 22 states the feds compared.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140907_Despite_tougher_Pa__DUI_laws__many_repeat_offenders_stay_on_the_road.html#xG6RtTJo8ZDQMwQd.99http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140907_Despite_tougher_Pa__DUI_laws__many_repeat_offenders_stay_on_the_road.html

I also wonder what the reaction of the PSP is. This seems more political than fiscal to me.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. From what I have been reading about this

they are not expanding the number of licenses to sell alcohol (which is fixed by the state). They are basically expanding what can be sold where. So unless a different type of outlet purchased an existing license from another retailer no longer using that license, then you won't really see any change, as there won't be an increase in places that sell.

And as a note, I just looked it up but apparently anyone 18 or older would be allowed to dispense alcohol in a licensed establishment, and anyone 16 - 17 can clear tables to include alcoholic beverages.

[femmocrat]

13. Thanks for the research!

Very interesting.

[BumRushDaShow]

17. You're welcome!

I didn't even know this about the serving age...

[duplex]

10. worst state laws ever

The PA laws are ridiculous. State stores are closed on the holidays when most people would normally buy booze, so if you don't remember to go on Sunday for memorial day you're out of luck. Clerks that can't be bothered to help are a routine part of the shopping experience where I live and not being able to buy less than a case of beer at a time really discourages trying anything but the tried and true you know. I've never lived in a state with such ridiculous laws and while these reforms are welcome they are hardly enough.

[packman]

14. I remember way, way back growing up in Pennsylvania

Wine and hard liquor was sold only in a state store whose employees were state workers. There was only a display bottle on the shelf - you told the clerk what you wanted and he went into the back and brought you out your booze.

As for beer, a different story back then. Only distributors were allowed to sell it and if you wanted a six pack , a bottle, or a keg you had to go into a bar and buy it because distributors only sold to bars.

[BumRushDaShow]

15. That is mostly still the case today

which is what I grew up with the past 54 years.

The main change until today's announcement, was that a few years ago, they modified the law to expand the liquor licenses to grant a fixed number of additional licenses to supermarket establishments that would sell beer > 6-packs and some wine, in certain designated locations around the state (and they would also be permitted to have a small bar on the premises). This change also corresponded with the advent of "pop-up outdoor beer gardens", that had some type of floating license to sell beer outside of a restaurant or bar setting.

I think when they did the massive upgrade of the stores over the past couple decades, that is when the "going to the back" bit went away (although some items are still "behind the counter" ).