Package-store group backs bill to equalize penalties across retail for illegal alcohol sales

Rob Meline, executive director and general counsel of the Massachusetts Package Store Association, testified in support of House Bill 390, a measure he said would create parity in how the Commonwealth addresses illegal alcohol sales across retail formats.

Meline said the statute currently allows a suspension of a store's Section 15 license for illegal sales, which historically applied to single-purpose liquor stores. As supermarkets and other multichannel retailers obtained the same licenses over the past decade, the suspension penalty sometimes results in closure of a store segment rather than the whole operation, creating what Meline called uneven consequences.

“Please don't sell illegally, and it'll never happen to you,” Meline said, describing the policy goal. He told the committee that many infractions involve clerks who had not completed beverage-alcohol training in the prior three years and that larger retailers often staff down or adopt self-checkout systems that increase the risk of illegal sales.

The witness offered compliance figures from his review of Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission decisions: he said about 115 compliance violations were recorded in the prior year and estimated roughly 55% of those were for multichannel stores, though he cautioned that compliance checks only catch retailers who are tested.

Committee members raised concerns that suspending an entire grocery store could close access to staple goods in some neighborhoods; Meline said fines in lieu of suspension are commonly negotiated and that closures typically occur only for repeat or severe violations.

Ending: The committee heard the industry testimony and signaled related bills on training and penalties will be discussed in future hearings.