Staffer: HB 155 would let municipalities operate package stores while keeping restaurant licenses private

Paula Bull, staff to Rep. Foster, presented House Bill 155 as an amendment to Alaska’s local-option structure for alcohol control. Bull said the change would add a new option enabling a municipality to operate a package (liquor) store while leaving restaurant and dispenser licenses in private hands.

"What House 155 does is add a no local option so that you could have a municipally operated liquor store, but the bar and restaurant license could be owned by private industry," Bull said, explaining the bill responds to a constituent in Nome interested in a municipal package store without taking over other license classes.

A committee member asked whether the change precludes a municipality from also holding restaurant or dispenser licenses; Bull said existing option 3 already covers that pathway and that enacting any local option would require a local-option election.

The chair announced an amendment deadline of Thursday, March 26 at 5 p.m. and the committee did not take a vote during the hearing.