Malloy Tries To Shake Up Liquor Laws One Last Time

HARTFORD, CT — Perhaps the eighth time’s a charm for Gov. Dannel Malloy in his last quest to change Connecticut’s liquor laws. Malloy will once again push to allow retailers to sell alcohol below the minimum bottle price.

Malloy has tried for years and argued the move would bring in more tax revenue for the state due to increased sales, but legislators haven’t been as keen on the idea, according to CTNewsJunkie.

Malloy also proposed a 25-cent deposit on liquor and wine bottles, which would bring $13 million to the state. He is also proposing to cover tea, sports and energy drink containers for the 5-cent deposit.

Last year Total Wine and More sued the State of Connecticut in an effort to rid the minimum pricing on alcohol law. The large retailer contended that the law amounted to price fixing.

The law is often seen as a boon to smaller mom and pop liquor stores who are able to buy alcohol at the same price as a big box store like Total Wine. Last year Total Wine flouted the law for a short time by selling some wares below cost. The package story industry in the state has lobbied hard against the proposed change.

The minimum price law has since been amended four times, most recently in 2012 to allow one monthly item to be sold below cost (not less than 90 percent) and in 2005 when the calculation for cost of beer was changed.

The minimum pricing rule is unique to Connecticut and results in up to 24 percent higher prices for identical products offered in different states, according to a study by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

Malloy’s efforts to modernize Connecticut’s liquor laws resulted in Sunday sales and later hours during other days of the week.

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