Lawmaker Wants To Privatize Liquor

Saying the state shouldn’t be in the booze business, Sen. Gary Schroeder, R-Moscow, is proposing a bill to privatize liquor sales.

“Government only should be involved in ventures the private sector can’t do itself,” Schroeder said Friday.

The measure would create an interim committee charged with writing legislation to privatize the liquor business. Legislative leadership would appoint the eight members.

The panel of four House members and four Senators also would have authority to increase liquor taxes so opponents couldn’t argue the state would lose money, Schroeder said.

Many Eastern states already allow private businesses to sell liquor, Schroeder said.

, DataTimes