As a result of recent public inquiries, the following public notice is being provided as the Harford County Liquor Control Board's (HCLCB) Official Position regarding several media news reports of possible legislative proposals for the sale of alcohol to be legal in Maryland grocery stores on a statewide basis.

The proposed legislative initiative/proposal was featured in an news article of "Maryland Matters."

The following statement is being provided as the Official position of the HCLCB.

The five Commissioners (inclusive of the Chair) of the HCLCB are in complete agreement with the Chair's position contained in the following statement.

"The overwhelming majority of our liquor store owners are small business people.  Legislation that would permit the sale of alcohol in grocery stores would be absolutely devasting to those small businesses, as well as the people that own them, the landlords who lease space to them and the various community-based organizations who they sponsor and support.  I am optimistic that the legislative branch will protect the tens of thousands of small business owners and employees whose lives and businesses would be instantly destroyed if this legislation were to pass.  In addition, this legislation results in no economic benefits to the State of Maryland and/or the municipalities because no additional sales tax revenue would be generated; allowing the sale of alcohol in grocery stores would simply divert consumer dollars away from small, specialty, businesses to larger businesses and publicly held entities.   The proposed legislation would further burden small business owners who are struggling from the lingering effects of COVID shutdowns, inflation and loss of market share to recreational Cannabis." 

      -Wayne S. Goddard, Chair, Harford County Liquor Control Board

Questions regarding this issue can be directed to the HCLCB Office at 410-638-3028.

(This Notice was originally published in the "Home" section of this website on 12/12/2024.)