Here is a portion of the governor's release...
Gov. Bev Perdue announced her desire to keep North Carolina’s current Alcohol Beverage Control system while speaking at the North Carolina Association of County Commissioner’s Legislative Goals Conference on Thursday (Jan. 20) in Durham.
The decision comes after an independent review of the potential profitability of selling North Carolina’s control system, as well as the potential affects such a sale would have on the health and safety of North Carolina residents.
In her remarks, she said that because of state budget challenges, she has considered revenue options never on the table before, including the potential sale of ABC.
In the past year, a consultant company studied the ABC system and looked at the state’s options.
Following their initial report, Gov. Perdue decided to only consider options that would protect local and state tax revenue, and keep North Carolina as a “control state”. Additionally, the value of the sale would have to significantly offset the risk involved to the state’s health and safety.
Independent revenue estimates for a one-time sale have been valued at about $300 million.
The only way to raise enough money to make the sale practical for the state – one billion plus dollars – would be to open North Carolina up to liquor sales to a much broader range of stores, from neighborhood drug stores to large retailers.
“I don’t want to be the governor who has to hold my granddaughter’s hand as we walk past the liquor bottles on our way to the toy aisle in WalMart, or towards the cereal in Food Lion. That isn’t North Carolina. That isn’t who we are or what we want to become,” said Perdue.
Right now, North Carolina is tied for 44th in per capita liquor consumption, one of the lowest in the nation. And last year the state made a profit to the general fund of $200 million and local governments a profit of $51 million.
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