Maryland is one of just a handful of U.S. states that prohibits beer and wine sales in grocery stores. Gov. Wes Moore says it is long past time to change that.
Moore said Wednesday that he will push for a bill in the upcoming legislative session that would permit beer and wine sales in grocery stores and other retailers for the first time since the late 1970s. The longtime ban, he said, has limited consumer choice and put the Maryland grocery stores at a disadvantage with those in neighboring Pennsylvania, Virginia and D.C., where such sales are allowed.
“I think it’s time to address this issue because it’s something that I have heard literally in every single corner of the state from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore. From Oakland, Ocean City, Montgomery County and everywhere in between,” the governor, a Democrat, told Maryland Matters. “This is an issue that people are asking about.”
Similar bills have been introduced over the years, including in the 2024 session, but have been met with stiff opposition from the retail liquor lobby and their allies.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Alan Kline over at Washington Business Journal
