Committee hears bill to let Macomb Community College buy a liquor license for its conference center

Representative Aragona presented House Bill 4065 to the House Committee on Regulatory Reform, saying the measure would allow Macomb Community College to purchase a liquor license from the open market for use in its conference and expo facilities.

"Very simple bill," Representative Aragona told the committee. "What we're doing here is there is, some area at Macombay Community College... When Macomb utilizes this area or another conference...they want to utilize liquor sales, they actually have to go out and get a daily pass." Aragona said the change would streamline operations for conferences and groups that rent the college's facilities and avoid repeated one-day licensing for recurring or ad hoc events.

Representative Carter asked whether this would be the first community college granted such an authorization; Aragona replied that similar allowances exist for universities and sporting events but this bill would be limited to conference-center uses and is intended to offer an additional option for venues in Macomb County.

Representative Thompson asked about turnaround time and the burdens created by one-day licenses. Committee members discussed typical logistical problems with daily permits, including paperwork errors and last-minute needs; Aragona said the bill would "kinda streamline things, make it far more simple" for conference organizers.

Later in the meeting, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission registered support on a card (Dave Martin, Michigan Liquor Control), but no formal committee action on the bill was recorded at this session.

The committee took no formal vote on House Bill 4065 at the meeting; the bill was presented and received questions from committee members.