Liquor Debate Put On Hold, Allegedly Due To Budget Talks
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG (CBS) -- State House debate on legislation to privatize liquor sales in Pennsylvania did not resume as anticipated on Tuesday, but a spokesman for the House majority leader insisted it's not due to a lack of votes for the proposal.
The state House began debating liquor privatization Monday night and recessed after about three hours. It was expected that debate would resume Tuesday, but that did not happen. Stephen Miskin, spokesman for House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, insisted it's only because his boss needed to participate in budget talks.
"Obviously, it is Rep. Mike Turzai, the majority leader's, bill. He wants to be on the floor as the bill is being debated. He doesn't want to be somewhere else," Miskin said.
So it has nothing to do with him not having the votes?
"It has nothing to do whatsoever. We believe the votes are there," Miskin answered.
Miskin also claimed that the decision to skip debate on Turzai's privatization proposal is unrelated to an alternative unveiled in the Senate, which has the support of the top Republican in the GOP-controlled Senate. That proposal would keep the state store system while allowing establishments that currently can sell wine and spirits by the glass to also sell by the bottle.
