Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board brings in $2.1 billion in revenue for fiscal year

Source: The Patriot-News

SUE GLEITER

Thursday, August 30, 2012

As the battle to privatize the state's liquor stores simmers, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board says it has posted increased sales for the 2011-12 fiscal year.

Sales at state liquor stores that ended June 30 of this year, reached nearly $2.1 billion - more than 5 percent over last year - and generated $494 million in profit and tax revenue for the state treasury to help finance other state services, the LCB said.

In the 2011-12 fiscal year, the agency gave $494 million -  $2 million less - to the state treasury.

That number is less because the transfer determined by the state legislature this year is $80 million versus $105 million the previous fiscal year, said Stacey Witalec, LCB spokeswoman.

This year, the agency saw its sales increase by $86 million, reaching $1.65 billion, Witalec said.

The release of the fiscal report comes as efforts to privatize the state's liquor system are on hold. In June, House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, a Republican from Allegheny County, pulled the plug on efforts to privatize the state's liquor system.

At the time, Turzai acknowledged he didn't have majority support in the House for his bill to sell the state stores. He said it will wait until lawmakers to reconvene, saying he did not want the issue to be a distraction from passage of the state budget.

Meanwhile, the Senate is eyeing a bill that would allow thousands of taverns and restaurants licensed to sell glasses of wine or spirits to buy a special license to sell those products by the bottle. But the Senate bill would leave the 620 state stores open and preserve the PLCB.