HARTFORD — Governor Malloy’s new budget has many different avenues to boost revenue and one of the major ones we’ve been hearing about lately impacts liquor stores. A budget hearing Monday is expected to draw hundreds of people including liquor store owners who are upset about changes the Governor wants to make that would impact their business.
Last month, Gov. Malloy announced changes that would extend the hours of operation for package stores and also adjust the complicated pricing system Malloy said leads to inflated prices.
Under the plan liquor stores would stay open until 8 p.m. Sundays rather than 5 p.m. and until 10 p.m. the rest of the week, rather than 9 p.m.
To be clear, it’s not mandatory stores follow that guideline, however, many owners feel they would have to because their competitors would be open.
According to the Hartford Courant a lot of package store owners don’t see eye to eye with Malloy on his proposals.
Many say the change will benefit large retailers while hurting mom and pop stores, still there are those owners who feel they can better compete with neighboring states if they stay open later.
The hearing is all about the Governor’s proposed tax changes and that includes his suggested plan to lower the sales tax from 6.35 percent to 5.95 percent by April of 2017.
The legislature’s Finance Revenue and Bonding Committee will hold the hearing at 11 a.m. Monday in Room 2E of the LOB.
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