A board that’s advising Governor Rick Snyder on the state’s liquor laws is close to making recommendations on how Michigan’s alcohol rules should be altered.
Meanwhile, advocates that want to keep Michigan’s current regulations say they’re concerned about the potential changes. Among them is the possibility that the state will boost the number of liquor licenses it issues.
Harriett Dean is with the Clinton Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition.
“The worry is that they will allow for increased density of liquor licenses in a community, they’ll remove the 500 feet from a church or from a school current existing law, and that will increase exposure to young people to alcohol, as well as for adults too,” said Dean.
But Andy Deloney, who chairs the Michigan Liquor Control Commission, says the advisory board does not choose which recommendations become laws.
“That’s up to the governor to decide, that’s not up to this committee to decide,” Deloney said. “The governor wanted these committees to be created and to do this work, and it’s up to him to decide when and how and which recommendations he wants to go along with.”
