Politics & Government

'Four Firkins Bill' Set for Next Step in the House

The legislation proposed by St. Louis Park Rep. Steve Simon has a committee hearing Wednesday.

While it may not be garnering as much discussion as the controversial St. Louis Park Rep. Steve Simon’s own liquor bill—the “Four Firkins bill”—is slowly finding its way through the legislature as well.

Simon’s bill, which would allow liquor stores to , is set for a Wednesday afternoon hearing in the House Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee. The companion bill, authored by Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-District 44), had a hearing in the Senate’s Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection last week and is now set to become part of an omnibus liquor bill package.

The face behind the legislative action is Jason Alvey, owner of St. Louis Park craft beer store . Alvey found out shortly after he opened in 2008 that it would be illegal for him to sell store-branded T-shirts he had ordered. Current state law has a rigid list of 13 things that liquor stores can sell, and store-branded merchandise isn't on it. Earlier this year, Alvey contacted Simon and Latz to see if they could change that.

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Now Alvey, who testified at last week’s Senate committee hearing, is ready to make his voice heard in the House.

“If people sit down and look at this (bill), they’ll see it won’t create an unfair advantage for liquor stores,” he said.

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But not everyone sees it that way. The Minnesota Grocers Association voiced its opposition in a letter sent to Senate committee chair Sen. Chris Gerlach. Jamie Pfuhl, the association’s president, wrote that it would be unfair to allow liquor stores to sell merchandise while grocery stores are limited in the alcohol they can sell.

Pfuhl added, “This bill creates a slippery slope that turns liquor stores into general merchandise stores without offering anyone the ability to expand into liquor retailing.”

Still, Alvey said he’s optimistic about the bill’s chances going forward after what he called a fairly favorable reception by the Senate committee. Simon echoed that sentiment.

“It seems to me it has a pretty good shot at passing,” the Democratic legislator said.

For Alvey, the testimony process has been eye-opening. He called last week’s hearing “intimidating,” adding that he has never been drilled with so many questions in such a short time before. Alvey spoke both for the Four Firkins bill and for the Surly bill.

“I’ve done a lot of public speaking,” the business owner said, “but this was a whole new ballgame.”

So while Alvey may not rush to again get up in front of a legislative committee after Wednesday, he did say he's glad to be a small part of history—a history he hopes is marked with a change to a state law.

“It’s very exciting and very much a privilege to be a part of this," Alvey said.


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