liquor-policy

Looser liquor laws boosted restaurants — and maybe problem drinking | Analysis

BY: - August 7, 2022

Most states that allowed curbside pickup or home delivery of alcohol to help restaurants, bars and liquor stores survive pandemic closures have extended the looser liquor laws. But in their desire to boost the hospitality industry, states might be fueling binge drinking and higher overall alcohol consumption, some research shows.

COMMENTARY
A state liquor store front in Harrisburg (Capital-Star photo by Elizabeth Hardison).

We need to talk about the mental health impacts of full liquor privatization | Opinion

BY: - June 20, 2022

A proposed constitutional amendment seeks to get Pa. out of the state-run booze business. It's not that easy.

COMMENTARY

Solving the Pa. GOP’s amendment addiction crisis | Editorial Cartoon

BY: - January 29, 2022

Pa. Republicans have turned to constitutional amendments as a way to evade Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's veto pen.

Fight over to-go cocktails spills back into Pa. Senate

BY: - June 24, 2021

In the span of two hours Thursday afternoon, the Pennsylvania House stripped out language approving the private sale of canned cocktails from a bill permanently legalizing to-go mixed drinks, before approving it 170-31. The proposal now returns to the Senate, which cracked open a three-way political fight between restaurants, the liquor lobby, and the union […]

COMMENTARY

Pa. House panel moves to make take-out cocktails permanent | Wednesday Morning Coffee

BY: - May 5, 2021

If you loved your curbside margs, you're going to love this news.

COMMENTARY

One lawmaker’s lonely quest: How many restaurant liquor licenses are there in every Pa. county? | Mark O’Keefe

BY: - July 22, 2020

(*This story was updated at 12:42 p.m., on 7/22/20 to correct the county that Rep. Frank Burns represents in the state House, and to correctly reflect the information that Burns is seeking from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.) Why? That’s the question being asked by Democratic state *Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, and his attorney, Terry […]

Philly lawmakers to target stop-and-gos with new regulations

BY: - February 11, 2020

State Sen. Anthony Williams (D-8) said the new regulations will target irresponsible business owners who make neighborhoods less safe.

COMMENTARY

Should the number of liquor licenses in Pa. be public information? A Cambria County lawmaker thinks so. So he’s suing the state

BY: - October 1, 2019

"It's like we're dealing with a Wall Street company instead of a state agency,'' said Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, who's waging a one-man fight

COMMENTARY

The Pa. Liquor Control Board has some transparency problems | Editorial Cartoon

BY: - September 28, 2019

A Cambria County lawmaker is suing the Pa. Liquor Control over lack of access to information on the availability of liquor licenses

Who should determine how much booze costs in Pennsylvania: a formula or the liquor board? 

BY: - September 10, 2019

A practice known as flexible pricing is still unpopular with liquor producers.