By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-914865.mp3
Albany, NY – As the Chief Counsel of the State Liquor Authority rewrites New York State's Alcohol Beverage Control Law, critics call for more transparency in the process. Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
Critics of New York State's Alcohol Beverage Control Law law say it is arcane, unnecessarily complex, self-contradictory, exclusive, and not in tune with modern business practices or consumer trends and the current marketplace. And it is costing the State of New York hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in lost tax revenue.
Ralph Erenzo, founder and partner in Tuthilltown Spirits Farm Distillery is spearheading the call for change. He and others say they would prefer the state legislature handle the rewriting of the law, rather than the State Liquor Authority.
Dennis Rosen chairs the SLA: he says legislators ARE involved in rewriting the law. Rosen concedes rewriting the legislation is a complicated process. For now, critics bide their time, anticipating the eventual scheduling of a public hearing on the matter.