by Sharelle Burt

December 13, 2024

Do you think it will go well?

---

Maryland Governor Wes Moore has taken a step toward allowing the sale of beer and wine in grocery stores across the state, and local business owners are not very happy, WBALTV 11 reported.

The Free State is one of three states that still ban the sale of beer and one of 10 that ban the sale of wine in grocery stores. In a statement, Moore said this change of heart puts the consumer first. “Maryland is one of the few states in the country where consumers can only purchase beer and wine at specialty stores, reducing consumer choice and putting our stores at a disadvantage,” the governor said on X.

“Lifting this ban puts consumers first and ensures fair competition in the market. »

However, business owners aren’t feeling it. Legislative co-chair of the Licensed Beverage Association and owner of Monaghan’s Pub Jack Milani called the decision disheartening. “I’ve been doing this for 34 years, and we’ve never had a governor who has gotten into it in this way,” Milani said.

“We would have thought, at the very least, that we would discuss it. And for some reason it didn’t happen.

Wells Discount Liquors owner JoAnn Hyatt says she is “categorically opposed” to Moore’s potential changes. As his family has run the small business for 70 years, Hyatt is very familiar with this legislation and say if it’s progressingit will put too many businesses at risk of closing. “The trickle-down effect is devastating if this happens. It really is. People don’t understand: tons of stores are going to close,” she said.

“They will not be able to survive: 53 lots of stores will have to halve their workforce. I probably won’t need half my staff.

According to CBS NewsThe Maryland General Assembly will consider changing the law in the next legislative session, which begins January 8, 2025. A similar bill was considered in 2021, require grocery stores to be eligible for a liquor license and that stores offer a full range of products in many categories located in “priority funding areas”.

Democratic Sen. Cory McCray of Baltimore, sponsor of the legislation, understands where small business owners are coming from, but says they can coexist alongside big grocers by selling beer and wine. “Making sure everyone has the ability to compete and everyone has access is one of the things we’re looking for,” McCray said.

“I think it’s incumbent upon us to know that our small businesses and our grocery stores can coexist, they can thrive, they can grow and it’s a win-win for Maryland.”

Popular grocer Wegmans and industry groups like the Maryland Retailers Alliance, the Maryland Association of Chain Drug Stores and the Maryland Food Industry Council everyone welcomes the change. Wegmans said they “support Maryland consumers’ access to wine and beer in grocery stores.”

RELATED CONTENT: Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget