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SLA reauthorizes backlog committee as licensing reviews quicken
Summary
The State Liquor Authority reauthorized its licensing backlog committee for another six months after staff said the committee had reviewed nearly 4,500 applications and approved about 72% of them, cutting average review times to roughly five to six months for cases handled by the committee.
The State Liquor Authority on Thursday reauthorized an administrative delegation created to clear a backlog of pending license applications, citing stepped‑up productivity and shorter wait times.
Deputy Commissioner of Licensing Maureen Hughes told members the backlog committee has reviewed “almost 4,500 applications, and about 72% of such has been approved,” and that staff reviewing as part of the committee now handle “5 to 6 applications a day” — roughly a two‑ to threefold productivity gain. The board voted to extend the committee’s six‑month delegation so it can continue working through outstanding cases.
Hughes said improved staffing and new procedures have reduced average wait times for committee‑reviewed applications to about five to six months. She also warned that a growing number of applications that were conditionally approved remain stalled for want of action by applicants; staff will begin disapproving files that do not progress after outreach. “You do need to respond,” she said, urging license applicants to provide required documentation.
The board’s reauthorization preserves a process the agency developed in late 2023 to streamline routine reviews. Supporters said the measure balances speed with safeguards; opponents at prior meetings had urged more transparency in how conditional approvals are tracked. The board directed staff to continue regular reporting on processing time metrics and on the number of conditionally approved applications awaiting applicant follow‑up.
