Alcoholic Beverage Control Task Force Looking at "Non-Controversial" Issues

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A task force aimed at overhauling Kentucky's alcoholic-beverage regulations is intentionally avoiding larger issues. Task-force member Senator Jimmy Higdon says the panel wanted to have consensus on all proposed changes. He says the group didn't address  controversial alcohol laws like closing bars during elections and preventing alcohol sales in groceries while allowing them in drug stores.

Higdon says the task force’s 25 to 30 recommendations will go into a bill to “clean up” the state’s liquor laws.

“One of the number 1 issues that we had in Kentucky we have about 70 different licenses, and we wanted – we surveyed other states, and a lot of other states that have addressed this have gotten their liquor licenses or their alcohol licenses down to about 10," said Higdon.

Higdon expects the General Assembly will also address more controversial alcohol law issues in the upcoming session outside the task force’s recommendations. The 22-member group plans to present their report in early December.