Democratic Policy Committee studies privatization of state liquor stores

 

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 24 – The House Democratic Policy Committee held a public hearing today at the Pennsylvanian Convention Center in Philadelphia to study privatization of state liquor stores, according to Chairman Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster.

 

House Liquor Control Committee Democratic Chairman Dante Santoni, D-Berks, also was in attendance.

 

“In our tough economic situation, the state liquor stores are an important asset for Pennsylvania,” Sturla said. “It would be fiscally irresponsible to sell off these stores without a true assessment of the devastating impact this would have on our Commonwealth revenues and the increased price of wine and spirits for our constituents. Our hearing today was informative and I look forward to holding more hearings across the state on this issue”

 

Santoni said, “Today’s hearing was productive. No specific plan on privatization has been proposed but it is helpful to talk about all the possibilities – how broad a change are Pennsylvanians willing to accept, how enforcement should be handled, how much or how little revenue can be realized, and how the distribution of wine, spirits and beer is determined.”

 

Those testifying included Joe Conti, chief executive officer, Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board; Wendell Young, president, United Food and Commercial Workers 1776; Nathan Benefield, director of policy research, Commonwealth Foundation; Stephen Herzenberg, executive director, Keystone Research Center; and a panel from Independent State Store Union: Neil Cashman, Jr., government affairs coordinator; Penny Dessus, executive board member; and Walter Mason, executive board member.

                    

For more information about the Policy Committee and hearing materials, visit www.pahouse.com/PolicyCommittee.

 

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