Proposal: No Privatization, But Expand Sunday Liquor Sales

Pennlive reports on a new proposal to end the push to privatize the state-owned liquor stores by modernizing the overall system.

State Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, R-Bucks County, announced his plan Thursday in a memo asking other lawmakers to sign on as cosponsors. His proposal would give the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Broad many of the things it has asked for in recent years, like the ability to open more stores on Sundays and have more pricing flexibility.

If passed, DiGirolamo estimates the LCB would bring in an extra $185 million in profits after the first full year. Theoretically, much of that money could then be passed on to the state.

If you look at the full range of options DiGirolamo wants to bestow upon the state system, it’s pretty obvious that the idea is to let the state-owned stores  … operate more like private stores. So why not privatize? Who even knows anymore?