Bill to Create New Licenses for C-stores to Sell Beer and Wine Introduced
With NJGCA's strong support, Sen. Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen) introduced S-4191 on Monday. This bill would create a new type of liquor license for convenience stores (between 800 and 5,000 square feet) to sell beer and wine. There would be no limit on the amount of these licenses that could be issued, and they could not be transferred or resold like current liquor store licenses. Instead, stores would pay an annual fee of $1,000 per year to maintain the license. There would also be no limit on the number of licenses an individual or company may have (there is currently a cap of 2 licenses per person for liquor stores). 20% of the products offered for sale would have to be made by NJ breweries or wineries.
With this bill we are planting our flag for how a fair system should be structured. 80% of the nation's c-stores already sell beer, and about 65% sell wine products. In those states, liquor stores continue to be open and prosper, as do distributors. The cost of a license should only reflect the cost of enforcement, like gas or cigarette licenses. They shouldn't be seen as assets to be hoarded and traded to give someone a local monopoly. You don't get any government provided protections (or even much sympathy) when a Wawa or Quickchek opens across the street from your business, so why should the State have century-old rules protecting liquor stores from competition. We just want to let customers choose what is most convenient for them. You can read the previous testimony we've submitted on this issue HERE and HERE or read the bill text HERE.
No doubt existing liquor store license holders will be strongly against any attempt at reform. Distributors also oppose reform, they believe that it just means they'll have to make more stops with smaller deliveries. No doubt, these interests do have powerful friends in the Legislature so this will be a tough fight to get any version of this reform passed. Governor Murphy has been strongly pushing for significant reform to liquor licenses for the past year, although he has been focusing almost exclusively on restaurant licenses. Recently he decided to significantly water down the scale of his reforms in the face of opposition in the Legislature, and even after that it's looking like he may not get much.
If you are interested in taking an active role and/or you know some interested store owners (even if they're not members), please email Eric@njgca.org
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