But we wouldn’t count on Pennsylvania’s legislature and governor to allow the sale of distilled spirits by some r-license holders, despite the fact that an economic analysis by the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. suggests the state could generate $86 million in new taxes and profits in the first year.
After all, Pennsylvania is the state that not only slammed the door on restaurants and bars, but also on the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board‘s Fine Wine & Spirits shops as a way of curbing the spread of Covid-19. Instead, the state is likely to follow its governor’s call to increase the income tax.
But David Wojnar, DISCUS Senior Vice President and Head of State Public Policy argue that “increasing access to distilled spirits will result in more consumer convenience and additional state revenue without increasing taxes on hard-working Pennsylvanians. The budget deficit created by the COVID-19 pandemic, and in part by the lost revenue from PLCB closures last March, has put a strain on the Pennsylvania economy. Allowing r-license holders that already sell beer and wine to sell distilled spirits is a commonsense solution to generate much-needed revenue in the commonwealth.
Pennsylvania currently has 0.65 spirits outlets per 10,000 people, versus a national average of 3.27 spirits outlets per 10,000 people. Pennsylvania also falls short of other control states which average 2.59 spirits outlets per 10,000 people.