A plan to privatize Pennsylvania's state-controlled liquor store system and liberalize beer sales laws is being scheduled for a vote early next week.
A spokesman for the House of Representatives' Republican floor leader said Friday the plan would shut down the existing 620-store system and sell or auction 1,600 new licenses for wine and liquor stores.
House Majority Leader Mike Turzai's plan would give the state's retail beer distributors the right to buy a license. Others would be auctioned, and it would limit the number of stores one licensee could own.
It also would change beer sales laws to allow distributors, grocery stores and taverns to sell in wider varieties, from six-packs to cases of 24 bottles or cans.
An earlier plan of Turzai's was defeated by a House committee.
On Tuesday the union representing 3,500 Pa. liquor store employees announced the ratification of a new labor contract that runs through mid-2012.
The United Food and Commercial Workers says union employees and worker benefits would be binding on any private companies taking over the store operations.
Politics
Gov. Tom Corbett supports closing the state-owned stores.
