Robert Arrington, liquor manager for the Safeway store at 181 W. Mineral Ave. in Littleton, stocks shelves with bottles of wine. Grocery chains are allowed to designate just one store to sell full-strength beer, wine and liquor. Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post
The coalition behind the push to rewrite Colorado’s alcohol laws says it will not seek to expand liquor sales as part of the 2016 ballot campaign.
, the organization pursing sales of full-strength beer and wine in convenience stores and supermarkets, will not author any measure tied to liquor sales, a spokesman told The Denver Post.
“Having spoken with Coloradans around the state, Your Choice Colorado will only seek to allow the sale of full-strength beer and wine in neighborhood markets when we go to the ballot in November,” said the group’s Matt Chandler.
For months, the organization left open the possibility of seeking a statutory change to permit broader liquor sales, along with beer and wine. It appeared to be a negotiating tactic in Colorado’s beer ballot fight, as the group sought legislative change to avoid an expensive campaign. But such talks appear to be at a stalemate.
Now, as the organization prepares to finalize and go to the voters to collect petition signatures to get on the 2016 ballot, it is making its intentions more clear.
The result means liquor stores will keep their exclusive status as the only places to buy spirits, even if Colorado voters allow more venues to sell beer and wine.
