Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Privatization, the ongoing saga

We've been following this story for three years now, and it's ever-changing. A couple weeks ago, it was reported that Governor McDonnell's plan to privatize Virginia's Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) stores had been watered down due to political pressure. The Governor's latest proposal would privatize the retail stores only, while leaving the wholesale and distribution channels under the control of the state.  Since Virginia would still monopolize these channels, we would not see the benefits of a competitive market. I didn't see that as much of a change from the current system.

Apparently, neither does Senator Mark Obenshain (D-Harrisonburg). Today the Senator stated he would be filling McDonnell's privatization bill, at the request of the Governor. He also noted that he would file and co-sponsor a second bill that would privatize both the wholesale distribution system and the retail stores.

The Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog has more on Senator Obenshain's bill.

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