Colorado Liquor Bill Dies On House Floor

A bill that would have allowed convenience and grocery stores to sell full-strength liquor in Colorado died on the House floor on Monday.

House Bill 1284 would have amended Colorado's long-standing liquor law, which establishes separate licensing categories for the sale of liquor depending on whether the product being sold contains more or less than 3.2 percent alcohol by volume. HB 1284 proposed doing away with that distinction, thus allowing grocery and liquor stores to sell beer with more than 3.2 percent alcohol by volume.

The bill would also have allowed 18-year-olds who have undergone required training to sell beer.

The bill, a version of which has been introduced the last several years, was staunchly opposed by liquor stores and the craft beer industry. According to the Denver Post, HB 1284 advanced further than any other similar bill in state history.

The AP reports that House members debated the bill for two and a half hours before finally voting it down.

READ THE BILL:

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