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Beer, wine ballot effort ends

Deal on grocery store sales won’t be challenged
Cases of Ska beer are loaded onto a delivery truck at the company’s warehouse off La Posta Road. A ballot initiative that would have allowed beer and wines sales in groceries stores in Colorado has been halted in favor or a new law that allows a gradual transition.

DENVER – Proponents of a ballot effort to allow the sale of full-strength beer and wine in grocery stores say they have halted efforts with the initiative.

The announcement Friday seals a historic compromise reached by the Legislature this year, which allowed for the gradual sale of beer, wine and liquor in grocery stores.

The only looming question was whether grocery stores would continue to push the separate ballot initiative, which would have allowed all supermarkets to begin selling beer and wine immediately, if voters approved the measure this fall.

“With the legislation now in effect, we are working diligently to figure out how this law will impact both Coloradans and grocery stores,” said Your Choice Colorado campaign manager Georgie Aguirre-Sacasa, who represented the grocery stores.

“While the bill isn’t perfect and we continue to believe that Coloradans deserve better, it does change the old status quo and will allow people more access to the Colorado craft beer and wine that they love.”

Under the bill – the last piece of legislation signed by a skeptical Gov. John Hickenlooper last month – full-strength alcohol sales would be phased in over 20 years, with grocery stores allowed to gradually purchase 20 licenses. After that, stores would be allowed to obtain unlimited licenses.

Changes to 3.2 percent beer sales won’t take effect until 2019. Ownership of multiple licenses by grocery stores and liquor stores begins to phase-in on Jan. 1, 2017.

The legislation includes a buffer zone provision – a radius of 1,500 feet around existing liquor stores – and requires grocery stores to buy out liquor stores to obtain licenses within that zone.

The bill was widely regarded as a grand bargain after organizations normally at odds with each other came together, including smaller liquor stores, distillers, wholesalers and several craft brewers.

They viewed it as a way to avoid the ballot initiative and ease concerns over competition driving them out of business.

“Our primary concern has been to ensure that local businesses and craft producers can still thrive in Colorado. We are pleased that the grocery stores did the right thing,” said Jennie Peek-Dunstone, spokeswoman for Keep Colorado Unique, the opposition group.

“With the withdrawal of their initiative, we can move forward to implement the historic compromise without the cloud of an initiative that, as Gov. Hickenlooper said, would ‘irreparably harm independent liquor stores and craft producers throughout Colorado.’”

pmarcus@durangoherald.com An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that full-strength sales would not begin until 2019. Also, this version notes that ownership of multiple licenses by grocery stores and liquor stores begins to phase-in on Jan. 1, 2017.

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