Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s plan to privatize the commonwealth’s state-run liquor stores to raise money for transportation projects is running into a few potholes.
The state’s beer and wine wholesalers oppose the plan, and a group of religious leaders have coalesced against it.
The governor’s office has touted support from the Virginia Retail Merchants Association, the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, and a collection of transportation construction groups. But the latter two said the plan was a “reasonable option” and a “good first step,” respectively — hardly a strong endorsement of the plan, which would triple the number of state outlets that sell hard liquor through retail liquor license auctions and wholesale license sales.
With a Democratic Senate and Republican House, McDonnell will have to win over state lawmakers. The challenge is twofold, said political analyst Bob Holsworth: there are some Democrats who are opposed to the plan and are opposed to giving the governor a victory, and there are members of his own party who are lukewarm or skeptical about the plan.
“The biggest challenge now [is] what you might call the reluctant Republicans,” Holsworth said.
McDonnell plans to call a special session in November to address the proposal, as well as other suggestions from his government reform commission.
The privatization proposal is just one of hundreds that will come out of the commission, according to spokeswoman Stacey Johnson.
“Critics of ABC privatization need to answer a very important question — how do they propose to fund transportation in Virginia?” she wrote in an e-mail.
Some members of his own party are still treading cautiously.
“I think it’s pretty clear that there are lots of folks who have concerns about the proposal, but at the same time there may be a framework there we can work with to get it moving in the right direction,” said Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah.
Del. Jim LeMunyon, R-Fairfax, said the vast majority of comments he has received from constituents support privatizing the liquor stores.
He said he wants to support the plan, but added that getting the license auctions done correctly — the number of licenses per area would be based on population density under the current proposal — as one of the details that need to get squared away.
“We are still at the beginning of this process, and we’ve got to take our time and get it right,” he said.
