Commissioners back request to authorize local 'Class L' licenses for manufacturers, signal legislative priorities
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Summary
St. Mary's County voted to request legislation allowing the Alcoholic Beverage Board to grant Class L beer, wine and liquor licenses (per a draft modeled on Allegheny County). Commissioners also authorized the president to send letters to the county delegation in Annapolis; one commissioner abstained on the first motion citing insufficient information.
St. Mary's County commissioners on Jan. 6 approved a request for legislation to amend Maryland's Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article to authorize the county's Alcoholic Beverage Board to grant a locally issued 'Class L' license that would allow manufacturers (breweries, wineries, distilleries) to sample and sell other manufacturers' products on site.
John Houser, the county's legislative liaison, said the proposal would mirror a model used elsewhere (citing Allegheny County) and that the Department of Economic Development and local manufacturers (Zella Winery, Everyday Saint Brewhouse, Tobacco Barn Distillery) had submitted letters of support. Houser said the county ordinarily seeks input from the Alcoholic Beverage Board (ABB) before pursuing alcohol-related bills, but ABB had not had time to review the concept before the Jan. 6 meeting; ABB's next meeting is Feb. 12.
A motion to request legislation and to authorize the ABB to grant Class L licenses was moved and seconded. One commissioner abstained on that vote, saying they did not have enough information to support the request; the chair called the motion carried. A second motion authorizing the commissioner president to sign letters to the county delegation and committees if the legislation is introduced passed by voice vote.
Houser also provided a broader legislative briefing to the commissioners: he reviewed December's special session and two items tracked by the county (HB270, a report on data centers due Jan. 1, 2027; and HB328, allowing certain instant-ticket lottery machines for fraternal organizations). He warned of a projected statewide revenue shortfall affecting the governor’s budget and flagged housing-related draft proposals—regulatory certainty, vesting timelines and a potential third-party reviewer regime—that could affect local permitting authority and require monitoring and comment from county staff.
Commissioners asked questions about the Class L proposal’s geographic reach; Houser said initial draft language likely allows any holder of a manufacturer's license under the relevant state subtitle to seek a Class L license, but detailed rules would be fleshed out later with ABB input.