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Newest Budget Fixer: Wine in Grocery Stores
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Jun 26, 2010
Modified Jun 27, 2010
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By
Jaya Saxena
Published Jun 26, 2010
Modified Jun 27, 2010
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Grocery Stores could soon be carrying honest-to-goodness wine (instead of that weird Chateau Diana stuff) if Paterson's next budget extender bill passes on Monday. The provision could generate $150 million for the state government, and is just one of many included in the "nuclear-option bill." Paterson has given lawmakers until Monday to come up with a budget, or Paterson will force them to vote on his bill. If it doesn't pass, government agencies will shut down on Tuesday.
Wine sales in grocery stores have been fiercely opposed by liquor stores, who believe their sales would drastically decline if they had to compete with supermarkets. But Eric Asimov of Diner's Journal asks, "If 35 other states can sanction wine sales in groceries, why can’t New York without fear of dire loss of jobs, closure of wine shops or corruption of youth, to say nothing of diminished choices for consumers?"
Other provisions in the governor's budget plan include cuts to $1.2 billion in state education aid, a 4% sales tax on clothing purchases, lifting the ban on mixed martial arts and authorizing SUNY and CUNY to hike their tuition by up to 8%. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said, "We're all serious, the two of us and the governor, about getting this done as quickly as we can early next week." But Paterson said Monday's deadline is definite, and the Legislation needs to get their act together. "While the door remains open for negotiation, it will not be on Albany time, where deadlines only exist to be extended or ignored."
Tagged
Albany
budget
budget extender
david paterson
governor paterson
state budget
wine
Jaya Saxena
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