Regulation

Regulation

Historic Vote Huge Step to Liquor Liberty

• March 21, 2013

Members of the House of Representatives made a historic vote today by passing HB 790, a vote to end the state government’s Prohibition-era liquor system in Pennsylvania. Commonwealth Foundation…

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Regulation

Who Supports Liquor Liberty?

• Nathan Benefield
• March 21, 2013

Today the Pennsylvania House is poised to pass landmark legislation (H.B. 790) to privatize the 80-year-old state store system and end the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s (PLCB) inefficient and antiquated…

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Regulation

Mailbag: Booze Q’s

• Matthew Brouillette, Nathan Benefield
• March 20, 2013

As legislation to get government out of the booze business is debated in the state House, CF‘s mailbox is overflowing with questions about liquor liberty! You asked, we answered: Q:…

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Regulation

What’s in New Liquor Liberty Bill?

• March 18, 2013

Rep. Mike Turzai’s liquor store privatization bill, HB 790, heads to the House floor after successfully passing amended out of committee today. While the amendment changed the bill significantly, it…

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Regulation

The Sun Rises on Liquor Liberty

• Matthew Brouillette
• March 18, 2013

It wasn’t a typical Monday morning for me or the dozen citizen-patriots and CF team members that stood together in an empty hallway, outside a hearing room in the Capitol…

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Public Union Democracy

Temper Tantrums Taint Liquor Debate

• March 15, 2013

My four-year old niece likes to get her own way. When things going south—she has to take a nap, or worse, Dora the Explorer is over—no matter how much you…

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Regulation

Privatization Could End “Pay-to-Play”

• Priya Brannick
• March 15, 2013

“A culture of greed, corruption and political influence that is beyond imagination,” is how State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan described the latest Pennsylvania Turnpike scandal, which has led to…

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Public Union Democracy

PLCB Liquor Store Union Boss Bullies Business Leaders

• March 14, 2013

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Public Union Democracy

Goliath, Drunk on Power—and On the Move!

• Matthew Brouillette
• March 13, 2013

What does a Middle Eastern battlefield from biblical times have to do with where you buy your booze? Actually, quite a lot. At the Commonwealth Foundation, we call the government…

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Regulation

Mow the Lawn…TODAY!

• Matthew Brouillette
• March 12, 2013

When it comes to privatizing the Pennsylvania’s government-run monopoly of wine and spirits, many politicians say they are in favor of it—including House Liquor Committee Chairman John Taylor (R-Philadelphia). But…

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Regulation

Desperate Times, Desperate Claims

• Nathan Benefield
• March 8, 2013

UFCW President Wendell Young is so desperate to retain Pennsylvania’s 80-year old government liquor monopoly that he’ll say anything.  Most recently, he claimed “privateers” were hacking an online poll…

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Regulation

Remove Politics from Pensions

• Nathan Benefield
• March 6, 2013

A letter to the editor I sent to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette takes on some of the myths and facts of pension reform: Nina Esposito-Visgitis, president of the Pittsburgh…

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Regulation

Liquor Chair Wants to Hear from “Stakeholders”

• Matthew Brouillette
• March 5, 2013

Last night, Capitolwire.com reported (subscription required) that the chairman of the House Liquor Control Committee, Rep. John Taylor, has proposed an amendment to the Governor’s liquor store privatization plan. …

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Regulation

PLCB Contradictions Continue

• March 5, 2013

Should the government have its own wine brand? Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board member Robert Marcus thinks so, telling lawmakers, “We have the legal ability to do it. We did…

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Regulation

We Deserve Better than ‘Watery Beer’

• March 4, 2013

Despite broad, bipartisan support to end Pennsylvania’s arcane monopoly on booze, legislators and special interests are saying “modernization” is good enough for Pennsylvania consumers.  Make no mistake: “modernization” keeps government…

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Regulation

Principles of Liquor Privatization

• March 1, 2013

While the Governor's proposal will likely change throughout the legislative process, privatization efforts should not be diluted into "modernization," which preserves the inefficient and wasteful Prohibition-era liquor system.  Here are…

Fact Sheet

Regulation

Privatization Could Open Doors for PA Winemakers

• February 27, 2013

Gov. Corbett’s push for state liquor privatization could open up major doors for Pennsylvania wine makers. As highlighted by PA Independent, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has literally put a…

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Regulation

Fact Check: Liquor Safety and Proliferation Myths

• February 26, 2013

This is the second in a series of blog posts addressing the common myths opponents use against getting government out of the businesses of selling alcohol. Check out the first…

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Regulation

Pension Reform Doesn’t Bring Higher Costs

• Nathan Benefield
• February 26, 2013

The Allentown Morning Call features an article on pension reform in which a representative of the Public Employee Retirement Commission claims that Gov. Corbett’s proposal to put new employees…

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Regulation

Fact Check: Liquor Privatization Polling & “Profits”

• February 25, 2013

A strong majority of Pennsylvanians want legislators to end the state’s Prohibition-era liquor system, just as Governor Corbett has proposed. But as today’s Senate Appropriations Committee hearing for the…

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Regulation

Public Opinion of Liquor Privatization

• February 25, 2013

A strong majority of Pennsylvanians favor ending the government sale of wine and spirits according to a comprehensive poll conducted by nationally-renown pollster Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3).

Fact Sheet