Tag: liquor sales

Republicans Take Different Tact to Privatize Pennsylvania Liquor Sales

The Center Square
man standing next to wine bottles, wearing a mask

Lawmakers are set to discuss legislation next week to privatize liquor sales in Pennsylvania through a constitutional amendment.

State Rep. Natalie Mihalek, R-Allegheny, introduced House Bill 2272 on Friday to privatize Pennsylvania’s state run liquor stores through a constitutional amendment that cannot be vetoed.

The General Assembly passed legislation in 2016 to privatize the sale of wine and spirits, but the legislation was vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf. Pennsylvania is one of only two states with a government monopoly on liquor sales, and the only state in the nation to shut down sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mihalek wrote in a legislative memo accompanying the bill.

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Ohio Senate President Wants Rule Ending Alcohol Sales After 10 p.m. Repealed

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Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof plans to keep the pressure on Gov. Mike DeWine when he says he is considering allowing the state’s restaurants and bars to serve alcohol after 10 p.m.

DeWine, who in late July asked the liquor commission to order no alcohol sales after 10 p.m., has said over the past two weeks he is reviewing the ban and wants to balance its impact on small business with public health.

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AG Yost Files Injunction Trying to Stop Illegal Alcohol Sales in Ohio

Zachery Schmidt

  Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a preliminary injunction on Wednesday aimed at trying to stop the illegal flow of liquor sales in Ohio. This injunction, which is one of the first-ever lawsuits surrounding the 21st Amendment, comes after a month-long investigation that showed many out-of-state wine and liquor providers bypassing an Ohio law that outlaws direct shipment of these products to residents. Ohio established this law so the state can control alcohol sales to minors, ensure appropriate tax payments, and protect state liquor businesses from illegal competition from out-of-state alcohol distributors, according to Yost’s press release. The specific distributors named in the lawsuit are Wine.com, Winc, Wine Country Gift Baskets and Ace Spirits. “These distributors are flagrantly skirting the law and keeping Ohio from collecting tax money it is entitled to,” Yost said. “We’re not talking nickels and dimes here. The tax revenue lost due to online liquor sales could be anywhere from tens of thousands to millions of dollars.” “Free markets have rules to protect buyers and sellers and promote competition,” he added. “These scofflaws are gaining a competitive advantage by not paying taxes that their home-grown Ohio competitors must.” Two companies the injunction names, Wine.com and…

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Pastors Preach Against New Sunday Package Liquor Sale Law

Jason M. Reynolds
Pastor Dale Walker

A pastors coalition is condemning the Tennessee General Assembly’s approval of Sunday package liquor sales. The Tennessee Senate joined the Tennessee House Wednesday to pass a bill approving liquor sales in the state on Sundays. “The Bible Belt state of Tennessee had enjoyed a safe, sacred day of worship with liquor stores being closed on Sunday,” said Pastor Dale Walker, president of the Tennessee Pastors Network, in a press release. “This will now change radically. The Republican Super Majority in Tennessee has become the party of ‘Big Liquor,’ passing beer, wine and liquor sales in many new venues, including rural areas for the first time. “Families and church vans will be even in more peril on the roadways now on Sunday,” Walker continued. “I have never had a liquor lobbyist or a liquor-loving politician join me at the grave to help comfort a family of the deceased who died from alcoholism or another tragedy brought on by alcohol. Pastors deal with alcohol ‘after the bottle is empty.’ Now, faith-based addiction ministries will be placed under more pressure from this despicable bill that will increase the need to help the addicted.” Surprisingly, one Nashville liquor store owner told WSMV News 4…

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