Liquor Control Board Mulls Opening More Stores On Sundays

EAST LIBERTY (KDKA) -- With the threat of privatization looming, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has come up with a proposal that would keep the system under state control.

The changes would need to be approved by the Legislature.

The plan includes allowing more stores to be open on Sundays and those that are could stay open later.

"That would be great," one customer said. "Weekends are obviously the time to go out and buy your booze, so I think that would be good."

Right now, only 25 percent of current stores are open on Sundays and they close at 5 p.m.

Another change would allow direct shipping from out of state to a buyer's home instead of state store pick-ups.

The changes were kicked around in state appropriations on Tuesday, but Governor Corbett has gone on the record in favor of privatizing the system.

Joe Conti, chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, spoke to Mike Pintek on NewsRadio 1020 KDKA about the proposed changes.

Conti says that the LCB gives Pennsylvanians the best of both worlds.

"You get the social responsibility component that we're so strong on, you get a tremendous revenue return that perhaps would not be met by the private sector," Conti explained. "We are No. 1 on returning revenue on wine sales. We are No. 10 on returning revenue on liquor sales in the country."

Conti says the ideas have been around for two to four years and are not in response to the idea of privatization.

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