Several grocery chains in Montgomery County are once again enlisting customers in the struggle to overturn the antiquated liquor laws that prevent them from selling beer and wine in Maryland. Signage paid for by the Consumer Freedom Coalition prompts customers to contact their legislators in Annapolis to support bills that would allow grocery stores to sell beer and wine, but not liquor. However, once again, the machine is prevailing in the state capital, and those bills appear unlikely to pass during this session.
The effort had the support of Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who was eager to back a popular cause to distract from the new taxes and fees in the FY-2026 state budget, but was opposed by powerful Democrats on committees that first had to approve the bills to move them to the floor for a wider vote. Harris Teeter was the loudest advocate for the change during the administration of previous Governor Larry Hogan, but the campaign stalled when the pandemic hit, and liquor law changes became focused on assisting bars and restaurants by allowing take-out cocktails, for example. Safeway has joined Harris Teeter in the 2025 push for the bills. Yet neither major corporation has been able to influence enough Maryland Democrats to sign on to supermarket sales, and those same Democrats have yet to pay a price at the ballot box for their continued defiance of the popular will on the matter.
Dozens of beer/wine stores in Moco would be affected by this leading to more vacancy in retail strips.
ReplyDelete7:05: My thought has been, what if we then allow those stores to sell hard liquor, and get the government monopoly out of the business altogether?
DeleteYes, let’s liberalize alcohol sales and get the county out of the business. But can we please focus on real economic development that doesn’t include just eating, drinking, and housing? This is all just about how we act as consumers, not how we frame an actually productive local economy.
ReplyDeleteGreat comment--will be tough to break the parasitic relationship; the Montgomery County government is run by and for the benefit of the public sector employee unions. Alcohol is a BIG part of that and recall Maoist Marc allowed liquor sales to continue liberally while shutting down houses of worship, schools at the behest of Travis Gayles...and he was seeking vaccine passports for Moco. Would be great to see this shattered. Things are getting so bleak here economically it just might happen,
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