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Committee hears proposal to allow wine by the glass at snack‑bar liquor licenses
Summary
HB 1526 would let snack‑bar licensees sell wine by the glass in addition to on‑site beer; staff and LCB discussed typical users of snack‑bar licenses and a timing/fee technicality tied to prior legislation that raised fees in 2025.
The committee heard House Bill 1526, which would permit retailers holding a snack‑bar liquor license to sell wine by the glass in addition to bottled or canned beer served on site.
Committee staff explained snack‑bar licenses are intended for businesses whose primary activity is not alcohol sales and that licensees must make snack foods available. Representative Schmick, the prime sponsor participating remotely, said the bill "modifies the liquor license" to allow wine by the glass and that it otherwise leaves snack‑bar restrictions intact.
Mark Webster of the Liquor and Cannabis Board advised the committee of a timing issue: a 2025 statute raised license fees and HB 1526 contains the old fee language; aligning the bill to current fees would reduce a potential revenue decrease estimated at about $28,000–$30,000 given roughly 450 snack‑bar licenses in the state. LCB also noted producer licenses typically cover producer‑specific activities (brewpubs, etc.) rather than snack‑bar licenses.
Committee members signaled support for aligning fee language and closed the public hearing on HB 1526.
