The measure, approved 105-84, is one of a series of measures the lower house of the Pennsylvania legislature approved. Other measures include:
- Allowing more grocery stores to sell wine.
- No longer restricting permits to stores with seating capacity.
- Letting restaurants and hotels to sell up to 3 liters of takeout liquor per customer.
- Allowing privately owned liquor stores. It’s believed this will fill gaps in the state not covered by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s 600 state stores.
Proponents of the measures say it’s time to dump “an asset that’s old and tired and needs to be retired.”
Opponents say new fees collected under the wholesale bill will be less than the state currently makes from the PLCB wholesale system. The measure will also cost about 5,000 people their jobs, opponents say. Supporters of wholesale divestment respond the state store workers will find jobs in the new stores that will replace them.
It’s not at all certain any of the bills will become law. Democrats and in the state Senate are opposed, as is Gov. Tom Wolf (D).