Posted: | January 19, 2017 03:31 PM |
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From: | Representative Mike Tobash |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Beer Distributor Sales |
Please find attached legislation that I plan to introduce in the near future regarding the Liquor Code. In the near future, I will introduce legislation to amend the Liquor Code relating to an issue that has arisen from the passage of Act 166 of 2016 (House Bill 1196 of the 2015-2016 session). After the passage of Act 166, I have heard from multiple beer distributors. The General Assembly has inadvertently impacted their ongoing business to liquor licenses (restaurants and taverns) by prohibiting them from selling beer outside of the franchise territories of their importing distributors (wholesalers). Furthermore, I have heard from my fellow members that this issue is plaguing the beer distributors in their districts as well. This appears to be a statewide issue. What my legislation proposes to do is to allow a beer distributor to conduct beer sales with a licensee that is within 25 miles of the distributor. I believe that this change will allow beer distributors to continue to service licensees that they had been serving before Act 166 became law. In some cases, these distributors had been servicing these licensees for decades. Act 166 contained numerous changes that updated and improved our liquor system, it is my hope that this legislation corrects an unintended consequence of Act 166 and will help our local, family owned distributors, to continue operating without the fear of losing valued business, or their licenses. Please join me in co-sponsoring and supporting this important legislation. |
Introduced as HB281