Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association Submits Testimony for the Senate Law and Justice Committee Hearing Focusing on Retailing and Alcohol Sales Privatization

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 13, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA), representing the interests of grocery stores, supermarkets and convenience stores across the Commonwealth, submitted written testimony today to the Senate Law and Justice Committee regarding the issues of retailing alcoholic beverages and alcohol sales privatization.

In the testimony, PFMA President & CEO David McCorkle highlighted the many areas that the association and its members agree with HB 790, which passed the House due to the hard fought efforts of Majority Leader Mike Turzai and Chairman John Taylor of the Liquor Control Committee. PFMA's testimony also offered suggestions to improve the retail license structure, and security and best practices provisions within HB 790.

"PFMA members know that HB 790 is a monumental step forward in providing choice, convenience and competitive prices for consumers," said David McCorkle. "We commend the House and its leadership for sending a historic piece of legislation to the Senate, and we hope Pennsylvania's Senators will heed the call of consumers who want to see even more improvements to the bill," McCorkle said.

"The testimony provided today to Chairman Chuck McIlhinney and the committee provides clear and concise ideas to make HB 790 an even better bill and gives consumers what they want, which is the ability to go to their local grocery and convenience store and buy their adult beverages in whatever quantity they choose," said Alex Baloga, PFMA director of government relations. "Lets bring Pennsylvania into the 21st century and get this issue right once and for all."

PFMA's written testimony can be found at: http://www.pfma.org/pdf_files/PFMATestimony_HB790_Senate_Hearings.pdf. PFMA's government relations team is ready and willing to answer questions from the media regarding the written testimony and the hearing, which unfortunately PFMA was not invited to participate in.

The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association advocates the views of more than 1,000 convenience stores, supermarkets, independent grocers, wholesalers and consumer product vendors. PFMA members operate more than 4,000 stores and employ more than 140,000 Pennsylvanians. For more information on PFMA, visit www.pfma.org.       

SOURCE Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association