Thursday, December 28, 2017

A State Commission is recommending Changes to

The Commonwealth's Byzantine Liquor Laws.  My main initial takeaway seems to be the commission will be recommending revisions to the fee structure in a way that'll bring in some extra state revenue from liquor sales. If implemented, the fee increase would quietly skirt the wholesale repeal of the liquor tax accomplished by ballot initiative a few years ago, but then again, thats how the legislature rolls in Massachusetts.
My other big takeway is that there seems some impetus to simplying the liquor laws in Massachusetts but then that is a fraught word here in the Commonwealth..."simplify" I mean.
Fee increases aside I could get behind all this mishaugas if it allows smaller independent outfits like the Somerville Theatre access to a "full bar" as part of their concession offerings. Currently said venue gets by with beer and wine while phat corporate venues like the Superlux Theater has a full bar  on offer. Movie theaters live and die on the profit margin provided by concessions so anything that expands options for the independent operator is fine by me.
But remember this is all conjecture, the legislature hasn't acted on any of the commission recommendations yet...but it requires watching to be sure.

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