Sen. Terry Bruce
NICHOLAS CLAYTON, Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — GOP legislators are weighing the political risks of voting on legislation allowing supermarkets to sell stronger alcohol.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce said in a Wednesday meeting of the GOP Senate caucus that the chamber needs to debate the issue as it looks ahead to the 2016 campaign. That’s because the topic has been the target major lobbying efforts by both supporters and opponents.
Supermarket and convenience store chains like Dillons, Hy-Vee and QuikTrip support the move, saying it will increase consumer choices.
But, opponents say that allowing the major chains to sell alcohol would threaten the state’s roughly 750 individually-owned liquor stores.
Republican Sen. Vicki Schmidt from Topeka said that voting on the measure would be risky because it would force lawmakers to publicly pick sides.