MONTGOMERY — Legislation by State Sen. Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville) would allow the Alcoholic Beverages Control (ABC) Board to own warehouses used for holding and distributing alcoholic beverages.
The ABC Board paused plans for a new leased warehouse and office facility in January after soliciting bids on the project in 2023.
State law currently requires the ABC Board to rent all warehouse and retail space it uses.
“Part of it is because I think legislators in the past have not wanted folks to go around with ABC and do sweetheart deals purchasing real estate and buying real estate in areas that maybe the state maybe didn’t need to own in perpetuity as opposed to a lease that they can terminate,” Givhan told 1819 News on Monday.
“Every time there’s been an attempt to privatize ABC, the people that have the leases come out of the woodwork because they don’t want to lose their leases on their properties that they’ve got leased to ABC. I wasn’t trying to get into that morass of it. I did think it was ridiculous that if we were going to have to do a new warehouse that they had to rent it or lease it. This doesn’t say that they have to own it. It just gives them the ability to own it if the state of Alabama thinks that’s the wisest course to go, then we would have that option.”
The bill is scheduled to be in the Senate’s Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development Committee on Tuesday afternoon.
In unrelated ABC Board legislation, State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) told 1819 News on Monday he has an unfiled bill on privatizing retail ABC stores “ready to go” but has further questions of the Legislative Fiscal Office, which “may take some time.”
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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