Share:
House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 28, 2015 02:32 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Stephen Bloom |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Taxpayer Notice on PLCB Advertising (Previously HB 2426) |
| In the near future, I will be re-introducing legislation (previously HB 2426) that would require all product advertising by the PLCB, in any form, to include a prominent statement which would read: “THIS AD PAID FOR BY YOU, THE TAXPAYERS OF PA.” By the PLCB’s own account, in fiscal year 2013-14, wine and liquor ad spending totaled $5.1 million, including the purchase of commercials on 45 radio stations and 55 TV stations, and print ads/inserts in 10 newspapers statewide. Other advertising included social media (such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest), mobile apps, a website, magazines and billboards. The purpose of this taxpayer-funded advertising is to increase consumption of alcoholic beverages. The PLCB’s own 2013-14 annual report celebrates “record sales,” which it attributes in part to the advertising efforts. Meanwhile, the PLCB is spending millions in additional taxpayer dollars to combat the abuse and irresponsible consumption of these very same alcoholic beverages. While I have long favored abolishing the PLCB’s monopoly on wine and spirits sales, I find it particularly egregious that the governmental agency entrusted with regulating liquor is now immersed in a counter-productive statewide liquor promotion campaign. As my fellow members are well aware, substantive legislation to end PA’s state-run wine and spirits monopoly cleared the House last session and is being reintroduced in the current session. Regardless of the form that legislation ultimately takes, if and when it becomes law, I believe it is important now, in the interests of transparency and accountability, to better inform and educate the citizenry as to the self-contradictory and inefficient PLCB policy of spending taxpayer dollars to advertise alcoholic beverages. Please join me in sponsoring this legislation. Thank you for your consideration. |
||
| View Attachment | ||