The coming end to government liquor stores?

Ontario is not the only jurisdiction in North America that operates government ran liquor stores, but there is a real movement in the United States to put away this last vesper of prohibition.

This from Reason Magazine:

The states where wine (and beer) can be purchased along with groceries include Virginia, North Carolina, and Washington, which nevertheless confine the sale of distilled spirits to government stores. This year legislators in all three states are considering abolishing that monopoly, with support from the governor in the first two and possibly in the third as well.

The opposition to these proposals comes from labor unions representing state liquor store workers, anti-alcohol groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and businesses that profit from the lack of competition. In Washington last year, beer and wine companies were the biggest donors to the campaigns against two unsuccessful ballot initiatives that would have privatized sales of distilled spirits.

What all these special interests have in common is a disdain for consumers—which is fitting, because that is the inescapable rationale for state alcohol monopolies.

Let’s hope that advocates for consumers are victorious in the US, and let’s hope that their victory spreads to Ontario.