Senate approves bill limiting liquor-license buyouts after extended debate

The Colorado Senate passed Senate Bill 33 on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, a bill that places new limits on liquor and drugstore licenses and curtails the kind of buyouts small independent liquor stores have sometimes received from larger retailers. The final vote was 28 in favor, 5 opposed, 0 absent, 1 excused and 1 seat vacant.

Supporters and opponents framed the bill as a balance between honoring long-standing license value and protecting small businesses. "That should this bill pass, there will be no more buyouts," said Senator Liston, noting there have been "26 buyouts" over the last decade. "That's gone forever," he said, describing how buyouts had previously brought hundreds of thousands to store owners.

The bill's sponsor, Senator Amabile, argued the 2019–2020 ballot changes that allowed grocery sales of wine and beer drastically devalued some small liquor stores and said she supports the measure as a way to help independent retailers and small craft producers. "The craft spirit association... the craft brewers support this bill," Amabile said. She also said the market statistics do not show mass closures: "Back in 2018, there were 1,631 individual liquor stores here in Colorado. And in 2024, it was just under 1,600, 1,587."

Senator Frizzell, who said she opposed last year's broader proposal, described the current bill as "a really good compromise" that preserves investments made by grocery and big-box operators while adding protections for independent shops. Frizzell also praised provisions regulating product placement in stores, saying they can reduce exposure to alcohol products for people in recovery.

Senator Weisman also spoke in favor, connecting the measure to an effort begun in 2016 to provide a controlled transition for the industry and to protect license value that supports many immigrant-run small businesses. "A license to sell alcohol beverages is a valuable commodity," Weisman said, adding that the bill aims to stabilize the economics for small retailers.

Senate bill 33 passed on third reading and was recorded as having cosponsors including Senators Catlin, Weisman and Bridges. The transcript shows members debated the bill at length before the roll call and then approved it by the tally above.

The bill's passage will change the transfer landscape for Colorado liquor licenses; the measure's specific operational details and implementation schedule were not specified in floor remarks. Further administrative rules and any secondary approvals required to implement those changes were not described during the session.