Committee hears bill to shift cereal-malt-beverage licensing to state agency; local control and cost concerns raised

House members heard extensive testimony on House Bill 2376, a proposal to change how cereal malt beverage (CMB) retail licenses are issued and regulated in Kansas.

Under current law the transcript shows, cities and counties issue CMB licenses (licenses that permit sale of beverages up to 3.2 percent alcohol by weight); the bill would authorize the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) director in the Department of Revenue to issue statewide CMB licenses while preserving a local jurisdiction's ability to require a separate local occupational license. Legislative staff described multiple technical changes in statutory definitions, a $50 state fee in place of the prior $25 minimum, and new provisions that mirror ABC procedures for other liquor licenses, including immediate-entry inspections when premises are…