SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Gov. Phil Murphy says New Jersey’s Prohibition-era liquor laws are long overdue for an update. While bar owners agree, they also want a seat at the negotiating table.
Craft beer brewers in the Garden State have said newly enforced regulations are crushing them. The regulation that’s most problematic is a limit of 25 “special events” per year, and just about anything entertainment-related — live music, an Eagles playoff game, trivia night — counts toward that total.
However, special permits for breweries are just a piece of the state liquor law puzzle.
Restaurant and bar owners with liquor licenses want to ensure that the new rules would be fair for them. Some of them paid $1 million or more to serve alcohol, and industry advocates believe those investments must be protected in whatever changes come next.
“That’s our concern,” said Amanda Stone, government affairs director of the New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association (NJRHA), “that they are compensated going forward, because if there’s more licenses added to the system, it’ll immediately devalue the value of their license.”
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The NJRHA said the limitations to the number of licenses is what’s driving the costs of the licenses so high.
One of the governor’s proposals includes increasing the number of liquor licenses and eventually phasing out limits for towns based on population. Right now, towns can issue one liquor license per 3,000 residents.
Murphy also said it’s important to compensate liquor license holders, and he’s considering tax breaks to cover the cost of a license.
“Change is probably coming,” said Stone, “and we just want to be part of the conversation to make sure it’s fair for everyone involved.”