CO Kills Beer Bill/Hopes of Consumers...for now.

This Wednesday Colorado legislators recognized that laws regarding alcohol in that state “make no sense,” as Rep. Joe Rice the democrat from Littleton put it.
Knowing that the laws are ridiculously outdated and circuitous, they still didn't have the guts to correct the regulations because, as they asserted, passing the beer bill would only be “piecemeal”.
Really, the turnout out at the vote made them quake in their boots like a fan rooting for the guest team in a football game. They were just too damn timid to do the right thing. In my mind, that’s worth not voting for them in the future.

For fear of the ramifications of allowing full-strength beer in grocery stores, lawmakers in the state claimed that they will come back, perhaps with a ballot item, with a comprehensive reform plan for the state’s liquor policies.

That’s all well and good; regulatory reform is something more states should look into, especially with regard to post-prohibition policy, but in the mean time ditching the faux market for 3.2% beer would have been a baby step—not a misstep.

Bad move Colorado, bad move liquor stores. Now when they do come back with their “comprehensive legislation” they may attempt to completely liberalize liquor sales in CO allowing grocery stores and convenience stores the ability to sell all manner of alcohol. Perhaps all they’ll need to do is add a restaurant in the grocery stores…that’s easy enough.

I just hope, for the sake of consumers and truly innovative small businesses that lawmakers act quickly and do what is right instead of just doing what the loudest group tells them.