MD: Washington County liquor bills advance in General Assembly

Herald-Mail Media

By Tamela Baker

April 6, 2017

ANNAPOLIS — Several bills regulating county liquor licenses got preliminary approval in the Maryland General Assembly on Thursday.

The state Senate considered bills to:

• Authorize hotel/motel license holders who were issued the license with an existing off-sale privilege on or before June 30, 2016, and operated a retail store on the licensed premises since at least June 30, 2016, to sell alcoholic beverages for both on- and off-premises consumption.

The license is restricted to on-premises consumption for all other license holders.

• Adjust fines in the county so the maximum penalty imposed on a license holder or employee of a license holder for a first violation of the prohibition on selling or providing alcoholic beverages to a minor is $200.

The bill increases the maximum fine for each subsequent offense from $200 to $500.

Both bills already have been approved in the House. The Senate earlier approved companion versions of both bills.

The House considered a bill to expand the Class CT Cinema/Theater license piloted last year from Thursdays only to Monday through Saturday, with a separate annual permit for sales on Sunday.

The original license was requested last year by the owners of Leitersburg Cinemas. The license is only available to stand-alone theaters.

The measure already has been approved in the Senate.