The Alabama Senate Republican Caucus will decide Tuesday if it wants to take up, again, legislation allowing the sale of mixed-spirit, ready-to-drink beverages at grocery and convenience stores.
Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger said on Friday’s Capitol Journal that he asked members to think about the issue over the weekend.
“The Senate will be doing a caucus vote coming up,” Gudger said.
This would be the fourth year lawmakers have considered selling the popular single-serving canned drinks that can contain vodka, gin or other liquors alongside beer and wine in grocery and convenience stores. Currently, they’re only available at the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and private package stores.
Opposition from the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, debates on allowable alcohol content and disputes over who would get to distribute the beverages have derailed previous bills.
Gudger mentioned his two college-aged sons when discussing the bill.
“Do I want them to have access to those in every grocery store and convenience store they go in to try to buy them?” Gudger said.
… “That will be the issue .. do we want more access to those in our communities?”
Last year, a ready-to-drink bill by Rep. Craig Lipscomb, R-Gadsden, was approved in the House but never received a Senate committee vote. Neither did a similar proposal from Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro.
Singleton has sponsored RTD bills in four sessions, including this year’s Senate Bill 217, filed in late January.
It would limit the alcohol by volume for the drinks sold in grocery stores and gas stations to 7%.
The bill creates a mixed spirit beverage wholesaler license and a beer, wine, and mixed spirit beverage wholesaler license.
Singleton on Friday told ADN he thinks Republicans may have another version of the bill on the way, but he’s still pushing for a committee vote on his.