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Senate Commerce panel approves tiered on-premises alcohol license for barber shops and salons
Summary
The Senate Commerce Committee approved an amendment to Senate Bill 669 creating a two-tier license that preserves a $100 status for establishments that give away drinks and establishes a $480 tier for salons or barbershops that choose to sell alcohol, and adopted a committee change limiting mandatory training to management; the bill passed the committee by voice vote.
The Senate Commerce Committee approved a change to Senate Bill 669 on voice votes that creates a two-tier structure for on-premises alcohol privileges at barber shops and salons.
Senator Murphy moved amendment 0993S to split the licensing structure into a tier one license that preserves the existing $100 status for businesses that give away beverages and a tier two license at $480 for establishments that wish to sell alcohol. The committee later adopted a committee amendment narrowing recordkeeping and requiring that management — not all employees — complete the liquor commission’s management training seminar.
The sponsor and other proponents said the amendment is intended to limit the fee increase to businesses that opt to sell alcohol rather than imposing a higher fee on every salon or barber shop statewide. Committee members repeatedly noted the state’s existing liquor-license system is complex, with many license categories, and urged the liquor commission be given a chance to review the language to ensure it aligns with existing licensing practice.
Senator Ruben asked whether liquor enforcement had examined the amendment; Senator Murphy said the commission was present at the hearing and had not objected and that the small further change on management training would address the commission’s question about recordkeeping. The bill’s fiscal note was discussed in passing and committee members noted that any technical fixes could be addressed later in Finance if necessary.
The committee approved amendment 0993S and the committee amendment by voice votes and then advanced the underlying bill (SB 669) by consent. The transcript records the votes as voice approvals; no roll-call tallies were provided in the record.
The committee asked Senator Murphy to "take this one out," meaning to carry the bill forward for the sponsor. The next steps are committee transmittal and any subsequent floor scheduling required by chamber rules.
Notes: The committee limited the training requirement to management by striking a provision that would have required every employee to comply; the liquor commission retains seminar attendance records. The committee also agreed to give the liquor commission an opportunity to review the final language before further processing.
