Pennsylvania state lawmakers are preparing to vote on a proposal designed to replace the hundreds of state-owned liquor stores with sales of wine and beer through supermarkets and other private businesses.
A vote scheduled for Thursday afternoon in the state House would send the proposal over to the Senate.
Gov. Tom Corbett supports liquor privatization, and wants to spend the hundreds of millions of dollars it would generate to improve public education.
Republican sponsors easily defeated unified Democrats during a key vote on Wednesday that threatened to derail the privatization push.
The union that represents state liquor store employees has been working to defeat the measure.'
The proposal would give beer distributors the first shot at 1,200 wine and spirit licenses and open grocery stores to wine sales.
