HARRISBURG - A House-approved state liquor store privatization bill would provide for more frequent votes in "dry" municipalities on allowing a newly created liquor license for grocery stores.
The measure sponsored by House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-28, Pittsburgh, would enable those voters to consider the grocery license issue at least once every two years instead of the traditional four-year vote window for liquor retailers.
The bill, which is a priority of Gov. Tom Corbett, would gradually create 1,200 private wine and spirits retail licenses and allow groceries to sell wine. The measure is before the Senate having won House approval last month.
Just like the network of state-owned liquor stores, the local option vote on alcohol sales has been part of Pennsylvania's social landscape since national prohibition came to an end in 1933.
Hundreds of municipalities, including a number scattered across Northeast Pennsylvania, have voted since the 1930s to limit the sale of alcohol either completely or partially based on license categories.
Mr. Turzai's bill would keep an existing four-year interval between votes in dry municipalities to allow liquor retail licenses for hotels, restaurants, beer distributors, resort facilities and clubs. It would establish a four-year vote interval for the proposed new private wine and spirits retail licenses and keep an existing two-year vote interval for club liquor licenses for veterans groups.
The goal behind the two-year vote window is to allow for more business opportunities under a privatized system, said Turzai spokesman Stephen Miskin on Wednesday.
"The idea is to help the local businesses," he added.
The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association didn't ask for the provision, said president David McCorkle.
"It's not specifically a change we requested," he added.
This brief provision in a 194-page bill hasn't drawn much attention.
"It's clear from this bill that Gov. Corbett is bending over backwards to cater to the interest of big retailers and at the expense of small family-owned businesses," said Brett Marcy, a spokesman for the House Democratic Caucus. "It's been over two weeks since this bill was rushed through the House, and one can't help wondering what other nasty surprises are buried in it."
There's some speculation that enactment of a liquor privatization law could spur more local option elections due to the greater number of licenses becoming available.
Typically, there are a handful of such municipal elections across Pennsylvania during primaries of odd-numbered years and sometimes the question on the ballot is to end liquor sales.
To get on the ballot, supporters must file a petition with the county board of elections signed by electors equal to 25 percent of the highest vote cast for any office in the municipality in the last general election.
Contact the writer: rswift@timesshamrock.com