PRINTER'S NO. 817
No. 31 Session of 1979
INTRODUCED BY ALDEN, PERZEL, GALLEN, GANNON, WASS, KNEPPER,
POTT, ARTY, MILLER, NAHILL, POLITE AND GOEBEL, MARCH 19, 1979
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MARCH 19, 1979
In the House of Representatives, March 19, 1979
1 WHEREAS, Recent incidents reported to the House of
2 Representatives indicate that the investigative process and
3 personnel of the Liquor Control Board are failing in their
4 responsibilities; and
5 WHEREAS, Customers of State liquor stores have expressed many
6 complaints about the location, layout, selection, service and
7 general inefficiency of our State stores; and
8 WHEREAS, The State-operated system, unlike free enterprise
9 retailing, inherently creates a disincentive to both State store
10 management and employees to adequately serve the public; and
11 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the world's
12 largest purveyor of wines and distilled spirits, being committed
13 to a liquor control system since 1933; and
14 WHEREAS, The net profits of the system were consistently
15 above $50,000,000 per year from 1968 until 1973, and had
16 decreased to $27,000,000 in 1977, with the Governor's Budget
17 Office projecting a State store deficit by 1983; and
1 WHEREAS, The entire management practices of the liquor
2 control system and related legal, regulatory and policy
3 considerations are in need of an in-depth study in order to
4 properly reconcile the objectives of control and profit;
5 therefore be it
6 RESOLVED, That the Speaker of the House of Representatives
7 appoint a committee of seven members of the House of
8 Representatives, four of whom shall be proposed by the Majority
9 Leader and three of whom shall be proposed by the Minority
10 Leader to conduct an overall investigation of the current
11 practices, management and administration of the Pennsylvania
12 Liquor Control Board and the State store system. This
13 investigation should concentrate on but not be limited to the
14 above mentioned considerations; and be it further
15 RESOLVED, That the committee may hold public hearings, take
16 testimony, and make its study at such places as it deems
17 necessary within this Commonwealth. It may issue subpoenas under
18 the hand and seal of its chairman commanding any person to
19 appear before it and answer questions touching matters properly
20 being inquired into by the committee and to produce such books,
21 papers, records and documents as the committee deems necessary.
22 Such subpoenas may be served upon any person and shall have the
23 force and effect of subpoenas issued out of the courts of this
24 Commonwealth. Any person who willfully neglects or refuses to
25 testify before the committee or to produce any books, papers,
26 records and documents, shall be subject to the penalties
27 provided by the laws of the Commonwealth in such case. Each
28 member of the committee shall have power to administer oaths and
29 affirmations to witnesses appearing before the committee; and be
30 it further
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1 RESOLVED, That within 30 calendar days after the committee
2 has made its report, the chairman of the committee shall cause a
3 record of all expenses incurred by the committee, or the members
4 thereof, which are payable at Commonwealth expense, to be filed
5 with the Speaker of the House and the Speaker shall cause the
6 same to be entered in the journal thereof. No expenses incurred
7 by the committee or any member thereof shall be reimbursable by
8 the Chief Clerk unless such expenses shall first have been
9 included as an expense item in the record heretofore required;
10 and be it further
11 RESOLVED, That the committee make a report of its findings
12 and recommendations as soon as possible to the General Assembly.
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