'Four Firkins Bill' Gets Good Response in House Committee

ST. PAUL - The "Four Firkins bill," which would allow Minnesota liquor stores to sell store-branded merchandise, received a supportive hearing in the House Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee Wednesday afternoon.

Next up for the legislation is likely inclusion in a House omnibus liquor package, which could be ready for a committee vote by the end of the month. Committee member Rep. Kirk Stensrud (R-District 42A) said he expects the omnibus bill to pass the committee with bipartisan support and end up on the House floor by early May.

The bill was authored by St. Louis Park Rep. Steve Simon (DFL-District 44A) after Jason Alvey, owner of local craft beer store , came to the legislator with a problem: He wanted to sell Four Firkins gear, but state law has a rigid list of 13 things that liquor stores can sell—and store-branded merchandise isn't on the list.

Alvey testified last week in the Senate, where a companion bill authored by Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-District 44) has also received support. On Wednesday, he made his case again in the House, saying he felt this would be a great thing for his business and others like it. Alvey also dismissed the notion that this would create an unfair advantage by allowing him—and other liquor store owners—to sell clothing. The Minnesota Grocers Association made that argument during the Senate hearing, saying the "bill creates a slippery slope that turns liquor stores into general merchandise stores without offering anyone the ability to expand into liquor retailing."

"We don't want to sell socks, underwear, or Levi's jeans," Alvey said. "I don't understand how they could argue this would be somehow unfair."

The legislators at Wednesday's hearing agreed.

"Sometimes you look back and laws just look foolish," Rep. Stensrud said.